Her Rising Saviour
by butterflyKISSU
Summary: SEQUEL TO 'HIS FALLEN ANGEL! It's been over one year since Syaoran found Sakura at the bar as 'Blossom', and they're now happily engaged and expected a baby. But will they get their happy ending, like they deserve? Or will both old and new problems arise?
1. Chapter 1

**_A/N:_ _I do NOT own the anime/manga 'CardCaptor Sakura'...the wonderful women of CLAMP do. I take no credit in CCS characters used nor their personality; I only take credit for the story line. _**

**- SEQUEL TO MY FIC "HIS FALLEN ANGEL"!! PLEASE READ THAT FIRST - **

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**Her Rising Saviour:**

_Chapter One – Everything_

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Sakura Kinomoto gave a small groan of annoyance when the alarm clock beside her began to blare. With her eyes still closed, her hand searched blindly for the annoying clock and turned off the loud noise. Then she cuddled back into the warm side of the man sleeping beside her, her arm coming back to rest on its previous position on his chest.

After taking a moment to fully wake, she forced her eyes open and blinked a few times to push the sleep out of her emerald eyes. She turned her head upward to see the face of the sleeping angel, saviour, whatever one wanted to call him. To her, he was her everything; angel, saviour and lover.

She pushed herself up and began peppering his face with light kisses while her hand caressed his naked torso.

"Syaoran..." she crooned, "Syaoran...wake up, hun. Wake up..."

He gave a small moan, obviously not wanting to wake, and tightened his arms around her, pulling her closer to his body. His eyes refusing to open, he shook his head and mumbled sleepily, "I don't want to."

Sakura giggled when he pulled her closer. She kissed his chest once lightly, earning another small moan from him, and giggled again. "You have to. _We_ have to. You're supposed to be at the office early today to get ready for that trial this afternoon. And after, Tomoyo's coming over to help me with the wedding plans."

His eyes opened unwillingly and he peered down at her with sleep-filled eyes. He leaned his head down to capture her lips in a very passionate kiss, earning a few throaty noises from the two of them. Sakura, being the responsible one, pulled away with a smile on her lips.

"Syaoran..." she warned, shaking her head. If he had it his way, they would never get to work. Not that she was complaining; she would rather enjoy that. But they both knew perfectly well that they couldn't.

He sighed and let her go, also smiling, "Fine, fine."

Sakura smiled, pleased, and pushed the covers off her to get out of the bed. But when she tried to crawl out of bed, Syaoran's strong arms wrapped around her torso and pulled her back to him.

"Hey!" Sakura cried out, giggling, as she swatted at his hands on her stomach.

"Don't you 'hey!' me!" He scolded gently. He pouted playfully, "I didn't even get to say good-morning yet."

Sakura giggled as she felt him unwind his arms from around her. Even if she wanted to she couldn't be irritated with Syaoran at this point. She knew exactly what he meant, so when he let go she rolled onto her back.

She looked over to see him beaming as he crawled over to her and laid beside her, his head near her stomach. He pushed up her nightclothes – a shirt of his – and pressed a soft kiss to her lower abdomen.

"Good morning, baby," he whispered silkily against her skin. "Can you believe your mother? Not letting me say good morning to you. The greedy little monster..."

"Hey!" Sakura scolded gently. "Don't try and turn it against me before it's even born!"

Syaoran chuckled and kissed her stomach again before pushing himself up and kissing her soft lips once more. When he pulled away, he pulled back down the shirt on her and patted her stomach lightly once, silently telling her she could now go. Sakura rolled her eyes and pushed herself off the bed, this time without being stopped.

It had been one week since Sakura had told Syaoran about the pregnancy. And one week since he had proposed to her, she was reminded as she played with the ring on her finger. The ideas were heaven to her; marrying the love of her life and having his child. She had always wanted a family with Syaoran, every since they had first began going out as children themselves.

Once inside the bathroom, Sakura began her morning routine. She shed the only thing she was wearing – Syaoran's shirt – and turned on the shower. She waited a few minutes for the water to warm up, then stepped inside and closed the frosted glass door behind her.

She had only put the strawberry-smelling strawberry shampoo in her hair when the door opened and in stepped Syaoran, a cute pout on his face.

"You didn't even wait," he complained, referring to their usual morning shower together. _To conserve water_, he had once told her slyly.

Sakura giggled and teasingly stepped back from him to massage the soap into her hair. "That's what you get for trying to turn the baby against me before it's born."

Syaoran's pout grew, making Sakura close her eyes and shake her head. "It won't work on me, Syaoran. I'm not looking."

Syaoran grinned and moved forward, his fingers reaching for her hair to finish soaping it up. He began to gently, almost teasingly, massage her head. "Aw, Sakura, don't be that way."

Sakura gave a small moan of pleasure, and could almost see Syaoran's victory smirk in her mind. He knew her one weakness was him washing her hair for her. She always found it relaxing.

"Fine," she mumbled as she felt herself being gently pushed back toward the running water. She felt Syaoran lightly tip her head back into the water so that he could rinse the suds out of her hair.

"Good," he grinned, knowing that he won again. He pulled her out of the water, making Sakura open her eyes, and grabbed another bottle from the shower-ledge. "Now, conditioner."

Sakura smiled appreciative as he poured some of the strawberry-scented pink-opaque conditioner into his palm and then began massaging it into her hair. She loved watching him do this, studying all the little creases of concentration in his face.

When he was done that, as well as rinsing it out, Sakura returned the favour. Of course, she had to stand on her tip-toes to reach the top of his head, but she enjoyed it every morning nonetheless. She had only once used her shampoo in Syaoran's thick chocolate hair, and though he hadn't minded – if anything, he was smiling the entire morning that time and would keep smelling his hair with Sakura around to make small comments about loving smelling like her – Eriol on the other hand had teased him all day. Sakura hadn't done it since.

She washed and rinsed his hair in his spice-scented shampoo and conditioner, then reached for the luffa and doused it in his sandalwood scented soap. She kissed him passionately as she began cleaning his back and chest in small circles. When that was done, the began trailing kisses down his chest as she continued to clean her way down. Purposely, she skipped over his genitals and washed the rest of his legs first.

When that was done, that was when she went to wash the rest of him. She was kneeling in front of him by now, and began lightly cleaning his long length while her other hand gently traced the V in his pelvis. She giggled as she saw his cock twitch. When done, she leaned in an brushed her lips against the tip.

Syaoran growled when he realized she was done and she stood back up, "Sakura..."

Sakura giggled again, "Sorry, Syaoran. No release this morning. We've already spent too much time in the shower, or have you not noticed the change in water temperature?"

Syaoran hissed at feeling the cool spray of water on him. In truth, he hadn't realized the change. But she was right; the water was frigid cold.

Sakura leaned over and turned off the tap, then opened the door and grabbed two towels from the rack. She wrapped the first one around her, under her arms, then turned to Syaoran and wrapped the other one around his waist. She tucked the corner of his towel into the side so it would stay, then hooked her fingers under the edge of the front of the towel and pulled him close. She pressed her hungry lips to his once more before crawling out.

Leaving him in the bathroom, she went back to the room and fished out a grey tweet suit set with violet and silver stitching throughout it. Removing the towel and wrapping it around her head, she pulled on her undergarments and skirt, leaving her top-half in merely a bra; she wanted to blow-dry her hair before putting on her good shirt.

Syaoran was still in the bathroom when Sakura got there, standing in front of one of the two sinks. He was just finishing up shaving, still only in a towel. Sakura simply stood there for a moment, admiring the sight of his backside.

Syaoran chuckled, catching her in the mirror. "You coming in, or are you just going to stare?"

Sakura blushed slightly, then smiled and made her way over to the second sink. She grabbed the blow-drier under the sink and plugged it in, then began quickly drying her hair. As she did that, Syaoran finished up his shaving job and then went into the bedroom to change into his suit.

Half an hour later, both were fully dressed and completely ready. Sakura slipped on her half-inch black heels while Syaoran grabbed his briefcase. They decided to stop at a coffee shop to grab breakfast and coffee to go since they were running late.

One stop later – Syaoran having got a black coffee with one sugar and a bagel while Sakura having got a decafe-tea and blueberry muffin – and twenty minutes after they had left their apartment, Sakura and Syaoran were at work.

Syaoran walked her to her desk and leaned over while she took her seat in front of the computer. He gave her a crooked grin; while they were at work, they had to act professional. It was something he wasn't too fond about, since it allowed other guys to check her out because they apparently didn't know she was with Syaoran, but he put up with it. He trusted Sakura, and was right to. She'd always turn down the other guys, and Syaoran had once seen firsthand how pale they got when Sakura told them she was with Syaoran Li.

Sakura giggled, feeling Syaoran's gaze still on her. "Good bye, Syaoran."

He chuckled, "Technically, I have three more minutes before I'm supposed to be in."

"Good bye," Sakura repeated with a smile, trying not to look up at him. When he didn't leave, she sighed and finally shot her eyes up to him. "Don't you have that trial to get ready for?"

Syaoran chuckled, "You know, you take all the fun out of things."

Sakura stuck her tongue out playfully. They both chuckled before Sakura finally shooed Syaoran away, almost having to push him away.

"I'm off at noon," Sakura reminded Syaoran. "So Tomoyo and I are getting together to continue with planning and stuff."

Syaoran simply smiled and nodded, then left. It amazed him how open and loving Sakura was now. Especially after how much damage was done to her when he left her years before. When he first found her again, he was worried that he'd never get his Sakura back. The old Sakura back. But here she was, more beautiful and loving than ever. Marrying him and having his child.

And he wouldn't change it for the world.

**b.K.d**

"Sa-ku-ra!" Tomoyo's voice rang out just after noon.

Sakura's head shot up just as her computer was shutting down. She stood up to see over the edge of the desk and smiled as Tomoyo made her way over to her.

"Hey, Tomoyo," Sakura smiled.

Tomoyo leaned over the desk, watching Sakura pull her arms through her blazer and grabbing her purse from under her chair. "You ready? I have some dress books in the car, and I found the perfect caterer. I got a few of his pamphlets, some for cakes and some for the other foods. Ohh! And I think we should go to the stationary store today. You'll want to send out those invitations soon, so we may have to buy some nice stationary and write them out by hand. It'll take a bit, but believe me, getting them done professionally will take a lot more time. Time you don't ha – "

Sakura cut her off, giggling, "Yes, I know. Three months," she paused and suddenly looked apologetic. "Sorry about that, Tomoyo. That doesn't give us much time, but in four months I'll be starting to show."

"You know how I love a good challenge," Tomoyo winked. "Now come on! Let's go already!"

Sakura giggled to herself, shaking her head, as Tomoyo grabbed her arm and hulled her out of the office building.

**b.K.d**

Sakura sat on her couch beside Tomoyo with open books and magazines scattered all over the place; on the coffee table, floor and couch. She was dressed in her comfy clothes, which were a pair of worn in jeans and one of Syaoran's sweaters. Her hair had been let loose from it's professional bun for work and she had removed the little bit of make-up she had been wearing. In her hands she held a warm mug of hot-chocolate while Tomoyo went through their top-five choices for wedding dresses.

"This one would compliment your entire figure," Tomoyo continued to rant. "It's not big and poofy, which would suit you. It'll cling to your every curve. And the nice little straps are cute."

"Hmm," Sakura looked at the photo and tried to imagine herself in it. Eventually, she sighed and shook her head. "If it'll cling to my every curve, then I'm not too sure. I mean, I'll be starting to show, and I don't know if I want to be actually showing that off to everyone..."

Tomoyo sighed and shook her head, then picked up another bridal book with a bookmarked page. She flipped to the page and grinned, "Well this one's nice! Pushes the boobs up, strapless and flows out. A nice train as well..."

Sakura yawned, making Tomoyo frown, and shook her head. "I'm sorry, Tomoyo. It's nearly ten o'clock at night. I'm falling asleep here. We've got the stationary," she pointed to the white paper-bag on the floor beside her, "and the cakes I'm going to show Syaoran. And I know there's a lot more to do, but I'm just too tired to do anymore right now, kay?"

Tomoyo pursed her lips for a moment, then sighed and gave in. "Fine, but I'm leaving the books here! What time do you get off tomorrow?"

Sakura sighed, "Whenever Syaoran's off."

Tomoyo sighed again, "Alright then, we'll go out for lunch and plan for the our. Bring Syaoran with you," she added before Sakrua could protest.

Sakura sighed herself, "Fine."

Tomoyo stood up and organizing the books and magazines into neat little piles on the coffee table according to subject. She hugged Sakura good-bye and rushed out the door, leaving Sakura in the apartment alone.

Sakura enjoyed the quiet. She remembered a time when she hated being in the apartment alone, when she had first left her previous job at the so-called bar, and had felt safer with Syaoran. And even though the latter stayed true – Well, she would always feel safer around Syaoran. That was a given. – she didn't feel unsafe alone anymore. She felt at peace, at home, there.

Sakura smiled to herself and laid down on the couch, cradling her hands under her head. She swore that she was just going to close her eyes until Syaoran came home, but that didn't happen. Her eyes fluttered closed and within seconds, she was asleep.

**b.K.d**

Close to midnight, Syaoran unlocked the door to his and Sakura's apartment. He was surprised that the lights were all on when he was sure that Sakura would have gone to bed already. He was going to call out for her, but stopped when he saw her sleeping soundly on the couch.

He smiled and leaned against the wall, simply admiring the sight of his sleeping, innocent angel. She seemed so at peace at that moment. Her long lashes fanned out against her fair cheeks and her soft hair fallen around her face and pillow. Her hands were tucked under her head while her knees were curled up in a fettle position. A soft smile danced across her lips.

Not wanting to disturb her, Syaoran tip-toed across the floor and gently slid his arms under her legs and neck. He lifted her gently off the couch, trying not to wake her. Unfortunately, as soon as she was completely in his arms and off the couch, she awoke. Her eyes fluttered open groggily and a soft moan left her lips.

"Syaoran...?" She groaned sleepily, her eyes not adjusted from their stupor earlier.

He smiled and leaned down to brush his lips across her forehead, "Shh, go back to sleep."

She closed her eyes again and leaned her head into his chest, her arms wrapping around his neck. "I was trying to wait up..." she explained sleepily. "I wanted to know...how your trial went..."

Syaoran chuckled; typical Sakura, always trying to wait up for him. Always wanting to know the details of his trials. They were in the bedroom now, so he laid her down in the bed and tucked her in. "I'll tell you tomorrow, but for now, sleep."

Sakura reached for his hand and tugged, silently asking him to join her in bed. He sighed and sat down on the mattress on top of the blankets. He began to lightly caress her cheek, their eyes meeting each others. He could see the sleep in her eyes, and it was obvious that she was fighting it back.

"Please go back to sleep," he begged quietly. "I promise to tell you in the morning."

"No," Sakura protested stubbornly. "Tell me now, please."

Syaoran sighed, knowing that he'd give in. He always did. And she was smiling, which meant she knew that he had given in once more. "Well, the jury's out. But I have a feeling that we've won."

Sakura smiled, "That's good. It was a solid case. I knew you would win."

Syaoran smiled warmly as well, still soothing her cheek lovingly. "So I told you what you wanted to know, now go to sleep."

Sakura smiled, her heavy eyelids drooping, "M'kay."

Syaoran chuckled softly, trying not to provoke her to stay awake, and got off the bed. He leaned down and brushed his lips across her forehead again and tucked her hair behind her ear, then lastly made sure she was tucked in. He quickly shed his work clothes and changed into boxer shorts, then left the room and went to the living room to work-down before sleep.

He was about to turn on the TV, but caught sight of the piles on the coffee table and smiled. He picked up the first bridal book her saw and flipped to the marked-off page. A smile crossed his face as he saw the thin-strapped, curve-clinging dress.

One by one, he began going through the different bridal dress books, picturing Sakura in each dress. One stood out the most, however. He could see it crystal clear in his mind, making a goofy grin cross his face.

In three more months, Sakura would be his wife. Forever would she be his and only his, and vice versa. And in a little over eight months, they would be parents. He could already see them sitting on the couch together, him holding her lovingly, admiring her baby-bump as he spoke to the fetus.

His life couldn't get any better. He was in heaven.

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**Author's Note: Whoa, I am SO sorry! I wanted to get this one posted so much earlier than this . But when my second semester started, it was seriously like BAM! with work. I'm in grade 11, and taking two 12-University courses -.- so that doesn't help either. I'll try and update weekly like before, but no promises. Like, I have two major projects due this coming week, both for history. -.-''**

**I personally thought how Syaoran talks to the baby is cute ^.^ It was the first thing I saw when planning this sequel.**

**PLEASE review and tell me what you think. The more reviews I get, the more I'm encouraged to write/post faster.**

**XoX ... Riva**

_Next Time: _ _Work...__Wedding Plans...and Baby planning...OH MY!! So much to do and so little time. And guess who's coming to town? AHH! When will Sakura and Syaoran find some time to themselves again??_


	2. Chapter 2

**Her Rising Saviour:**

_Chapter Two – Calls_

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Sakura really didn't want to wake up the next morning. She was so tired. When her alarm clock went off, all she wanted to do was take a hammer to it and roll back under the warm covers. But, sadly, there was work to do; the office, wedding plans and baby plans, of course.

And so the usual morning began. She rolled over to wake Syaoran up once she turned off the alarm and Syaoran made sure to say his good morning to the fetus before letting Sakura get out of bed. When that ritual was done, they took their usual morning shower and got ready for work.

Sakura was a lucky one, not getting morning sickness. Or at least, not nearly as bad as the women from the horror stories she had heard. Some mornings she would wake up with slight nausea, but not once did she actually blow chunks from it. It was definitely something she was grateful for.

She was just pulling her hair into the usual bun while Syaoran stood beside her in the bathroom, brushing his teeth, when the phone rang. Syaoran spat in the sink and quickly rinsed his mouth, then made a dash for the door to answer the phone. Sakura didn't get to finish her hair, but her hand darted out for his to stop him. She gave him her most alluring smile.

"The machine will pick it up," she said sweetly as she pulled him to her. She pressed herself to him and wrapped her arms around his neck.

Syaoran smirked down at her and wrapped his arms around her tiny waist before bringing down his hungry mouth onto hers. They had only began to explore each other, Syaoran's hand slowly inching up her blouse, when the ringing of the phone stopped and a loud beep sounded, informing them that the answering machine had picked up.

"_Hey!" _Syroan's voice greeted on the machine. "_You've reached Syaoran Li and Sakura Kinomoto. We're away from the phone right now, so if you could leave a message we'll get back to you as soon as we can. Thanks!"_

Another beep, and then...

"SAKURA NADESHIKO KINOMOTO!"

Sakura froze, hearing the voice on the machine. Syaoran also seemed to freeze and pulled away from her. They both faced the door, as if in fear, as they listened to the machine record the message from Toya Kinomoto.

"I know you're there, Sakura. You don't leave for work for another twenty minutes, so get your lips away from that brat's and answer the God damned phone!"

Sakura blushed bright pink and looked up to Syaoran timidly, "I should, er, probably speak to him."

Syaoran simply held her tighter, grinning slightly. Somehow, he found this funny, even though he knew he was actually terrified of the big brother. "The machine will get it, remember?"

After a moment, Toya continued, still enrages but slightly calmer. "I know you're there, monster. I'll just get back at you tomorrow. Hence why I'm calling. Dad wants me to remind you that we're coming over tomorrow to discuss this...wedding." He snarled out the last word as if it were THE most disgusting word he had ever said. "I remember saying you both had tomorrow off, so Dad and I want to be there for nine and..."

Sakura's eyes widened, the rest of the message going in one ear and out the other. The rest didn't seem to matter. "Shoot! I forgot they were coming over tomorrow!"

Syaoran chuckled as he listened to Toya rant for a few more minutes before the the machine cut him off. He pulled Sakura into a close, loving embrace. "Well, I suppose I had to face them sometime before the wedding."

"Toya's going to be ticked," Sakura mumbled. "I haven't even told them about the baby yet. I only told Dad about the engagement."

Then she froze, realizing something. She pulled away from him slightly, her hands on his chest while his hands rested on her hips. Her eyes were wide, frantic. "I...They don't know about before, with the bar and...umm..._Blossom_...and stuff. And I'm sure Tomoyo never told them, or else I would have had Toya screaming at me for the past years."

Syaoran gave her a reassuring smile and brushed his lips against hers, "Sakura, sweetie, I'd never tell them. Besides," he gave a small wink, "why the hell would I want to give Toya another reason to kill me?"

Sakura gave a weak smile, "I suppose that's true..."

Syaoran's watch beeped before she could finish, catching both of their attention. He gave a small groan, "Damn, we're going to be late."

"Then let's go," Sakura smiled, slipping her hand into his and leading him out of the bathroom. She grabbed the books Tomoyo had left and dashed out the door with Syaoran in tow.

**b.K.d**

The rest of the morning passed fairly quickly, and within seemingly no time, lunch arrived along with Tomoyo. She came bounding into the office, her silky lavender hair pulled up into a pony-tail and wearing jeans and a nice blouse, her Guess purse in hand.

Sakura stood up before Tomoyo could get to her desk, a large smile on her face. She picked up the phone and dialled Syaoran's office number to tell him Tomoyo was here for them.

The three of them ended up going to a small coffee shop just down the street from the office. Sakura returned the magazines and folders to Tomoyo, who spread them out on their six-seater table.

The waitress arrived with their orders – Syaoran: one large coffee, a ham sandwich and a slice of apple pie. Sakura: a strawberry milkshake and a Greek salad. Tomoyo: an Earl Grey tea and soup – and the meeting began.

"So did you show Syaoran the dresses?" Tomoyo asked excitedly.

Sakura blushed softly and began poking at her salad nervously, "No. I, er, feel asleep."

Tomoyo sighed, "Typical. So we'll start with tha – "

"I actually looked through the books," Syaoran interrupted, smiling. He reached across the table and picked through Tomoyo's pile, fishing out a blue cover magazine. He flipped through the pages to find the hidden sticky-note that bookmarked the page. Once he found it, he smiled and showed it to Tomoyo.

"Oh, I should have known you'd like that one," Tomoyo said slyly, smiling.

"What?" Sakura asked, having not seen the page.

Syaoran pulled back the book to their side of the table and showed it to Sakura. Sakura immediately frowned. She sighed, "Syaoran, I'm not wearing that dress."

Syaoran frowned as well and looked back down at the dress. It was the first one he had seen, and immediately he had fell in love with it. It was the dress that clung to the model's every curve, with thin straps to show off the shoulders and neck, and had a beautiful loose hanging neckline that scrunched up slightly without showing much cleavage.

"What's wrong with it?" Syaoran asked, sulking. "It'd look amazing on you."

"Because," Sakura sighed, repeating her words to Tomoyo the previous night. "In three months, I'll be between my first and second trimester, which is usually where a woman will start developing her baby bump. I don't really think it's something I should be showing off...You know, pregnancy before marriage."

Syaoran pursed his lips together into a thin line, but his eyes were soft. He reached out his hand to rest it on her stomach and captured her gaze, smouldering her with his deep amber eyes. "Pregnancy is a beautiful thing, Sakura. Perhaps the most beautiful thing in the world. Who cares what people think? We love each other, that should be all that matters. You would look beautiful in this dress, and if you start getting that baby bump, it'll just add to it. It'll be more beautiful than ever. It'll just show people how much we love each other."

Sakura's eyes had began to water in the middle of his speech. When he was done, she forced a shaky smile and nodded. She rested her hand on his and laced her fingers through his, then lean forward to lightly kiss him.

"Thank you," she whispered.

Tomoyo watched them, grinning. After letting them have their moment, she gave a small polite cough to catch their attention, which worked. She smiled, "Then this dress?"

Syaoran looked to Sakura, waiting for her answer. She blushed slightly and nodded, "Y-Yeah."

Syaoran grinned like an idiot and brought his lips to her cheek, "You'll look amazing."

"Yes yes," Tomoyo interrupted the moment before it could begin, starting to become impatient. "We all know Sakura will look amazing in the dress. Now the next thing to discuss is the invitations and cake."

"When we get home we'll start on the invitations," Syaoran informed her, remembering Sakura showing him the stationary this morning. "And hopefully we'll send them out tomorrow morning. It's not like it's going to be a big wedding or anything."

Sakura nodded in agreement, "Yeah. There's only going to be Toya and Dad, your mother and sisters, Eriol and of course you Tomoyo."

Tomoyo grinned, "Of course."

"And you'll be my Maid Of Honour," Sakura grinned, seeing Tomoyo's eyes light up. "Eriol's going to be Syaoran's Grooms Men. And..." she paused and turned to Syaoran, "you said your one sister had two kids that could be the Flower Girl and Ring Bearer?"

Syaoran nodded, "Yeah, Femei has three year old twins. She said they'd be more than happy to be in the wedding."

"Okay, okay," Tomoyo said, pulling a notepad from her purse. She grabbed a designer pen from behind her ear and quickly scribbled down what Syaoran had said. "And the cake? Have we decided that yet?"

"Not yet," Sakura sighed. "Can we get back to you on that tomorrow?"

"Of course," Tomoyo smiled. She quickly picked through her folders, pamphlets and magazines and made a neat pile on the table of some of them. Then she pushed them over to the couple, "Just go through these. I'll leave them with you for tonight." She paused and gave an apologetic smile. "Sorry, again, for pushing this on your guys so fast –"

"Are you kidding, Tomoyo?" Sakura asked, giving a small laugh. "We should be the ones apologizing! We're making you work this out so fast. It must be stressful on yo – "

"Oh hush," Tomoyo scoffed playfully. "Stressful? Yeah, right! I want to do this for you two! I have since you two met in fourth grade!"

Sakura paused a minute, then blushed softly as something dawned on her. "But, er, Tomoyo...We didn't start going out until we were older..."

"Yes," Tomoyo grinned, "and I always knew it'd end up like this." She watched both couples blush slightly, Sakura more than Syaoran of course, then continued with her plans. She took out a pile of floral pamphlets and spread them out onto the table. "And now, flowers..."

**b.K.d**

The next morning, Sakura woke up to loud banging on the door. At first, she refused to take notice to it. Sleeping in nothing but what God gave her, she rolled around in the sheets and snuggled up closer to Syaoran. While still in his deep slumber, he wrapped an arm around her and buried his face into her hair.

Sakura tried to go back to sleep, when the loud banging continued. She grimaced, feeling her blood boil. Who the hell would try and wake them this early on their day off?!

And then she heard it. The loud voice that could only be one person.

"Sakura! Answer this door, _now_!"

She felt Syaoran stiffen as her eyes shot open.

She heard Syaoran give a small, groggy moan, "_Shiiiiiit_."

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**Author's Note:** OH MY GOD!! I can't thank you all enough!!! I'm close to a hundred reviews (currently have 95) on the prequel to this, which in my eyes is fucking amazing!! I am so happy! So thank you to everyone who has ever reviewed to this and/or 'His Fallen Angel'....I can't tell you how much it's meant to me!

Sorry for the week-late post...And sorry for the kinda-short chapter. I got stuck and decided just to leave it off here so that I could at least give you amazing people an update.

Thanks for the reviews everyone!! Please keep them coming ^.^ They completely make my day 100% brighter!!!

XOX ... Riva

_Next Chapter...: Uh-oh!! And in comes Toya Kinomoto. He knows about the wedding...but how will he take the baby news? And how will Sakura's father take it? Will it be all-out World War III?!?! _


	3. Chapter 3

**Her Rising Saviour:**

_Chapter Three – War?_

* * *

Sakura tried to go back to sleep, when the loud banging continued. She grimaced, feeling her blood boil. Who the hell would try and wake them this early on their day off?!

And then she heard it. The loud voice that could only be one person.

"Sakura! Answer this door, _now_!"

She felt Syaoran stiffen as her eyes shot open.

She heard Syaoran give a small, groggy moan, "_Shiiiiiit_."

"Sakura!" Toya continued to shout, his voice so loud it rang all the way to their bedroom. "SAKURA!!"

Sakura literally jumped out of bed at that point. She didn't care what she picked up off the ground at that point, she only needed to cover herself. She pulled on a pair of her sweatpants she found on the floor and a t-shirt of Syaoran's. She tripped as she ran to Syaoran's side of the bed, throwing him a pair of pajama pants she found on the ground as well.

"Get up!" She hissed frantically, not so much angry as she was in a panic.

Syaoran still seemed groggy as he got up and pulled on the pants Sakura had threw at him. They weren't even half-way on when Sakura bolted from the bedroom, and stupidly enough he tried to follow and managed to trip, stubbing his toe on the leg of the desk. He gave a small curse under his breath.

Sakura pulled open the door, trying to catch her breath, and was met with the sight of an angry Toya and a passive father, Fujitaka. Toya had his arms crossed tightly across his chest, but Fujitaka just gave her a bright smile, obviously not upset at all.

"S-Sorry," Sakura sputtered out. "I forgot to set the alarm..."

Syaoran came stumbling behind her. He gave a smile toward Fujitaka, but the smile quickly sank when he turned to Toya, who's face was turning redder than a tomato.

"Where the hell is your shirt?!" Toya ordered, his face beat red with rage. He took a step into the apartment, toward Syaoran, but Syaoran stepped back and Sakura managed to close the door enough so Toya couldn't get past. He growled, "Sakura..."

"Toya," she growled back, her rage almost matching his. "Syaoran and I _live _together...We're _engaged_...I think it's fine if his shirt is off while he sleeps, so you can just calm down before I call security."

Toya, angrier than ever, opened his mouth to lash back at her when their father cut in. He gave a small chuckle, always being the optimistic one, "Now, now...There's no need to be so haste, Sakura. You're brother is just looking out for you." Before Sakura could counter back, he continued, "Although, Toya, you took it too far. How Syaoran is dressed in the morning is perfectly fine and no concern to you."

Toya gave a small grumble and Sakura shot him one last glare before opening the door wider so her family could come in. She led them to the living room, not missing the glares Toya and Syaoran was shooting each other. She sighed and seated them while Syaoran stood beside her.

"Thank you so much for coming, Dad," she smiled at him, ignoring Toya's dagger-filled stare at Syaoran. "We know we're kinda pressing time on this, and it's a lot of work..."

"Not a problem, pumpkin," her father smiled. "Your mother and I were the same way with rushing into the wedding. We just wanted to be married and that was that." He gave a small chuckle, "I thought Sonomi was going to kill us with the rushed plans."

Sakura gave a small, nervous chuckle; the only difference was that their rushed plans weren't because of an arriving baby. She turned to Syaoran and gave a weak smile, "Err, would would mind putting on a pot of coffee? I'm just going to get dressed."

Syaoran returned the smile, trying to reassure her that it was all going to be okay. She turned to leave, but Syaoran caught her hand and pressed his lips against her forehead. She stared at him blankly, partially surprised that he'd be so bold in front of her brother, but she got the message when he smiled genuinely at her. She smiled back, trying to tell him she understand, then left to change.

Leaving Syaoran to the sharks...Err, Toya.

Syaoran took a deep breath and turned to the two men sitting on the couch. He gave a forced smile to Fujitaka – for although the man was kind and gentle, finding out his daughter was pregnant would not be a great thing – and then heard Toya growl and turned to glower at him.

Giving up the stare off, since he knew it was futile, Syaoran sighed and turned to Fujitaka. His face flushed in shame, slightly embarrassed. He stood up tall, politely, and looked the father in the eyes. "Mr. Kinomoto, sir, I must apologize for doing this out of order. I know I should have asked you for Sakura's hand. It was selfish of me and I am deeply sor – "

"Syaoran, Syaoran..." Fujitaka lightly tisked, shaking his head with a smile. "I appreciate the apology, but there's no need for one. I would have said yes. And besides," his eyes twinkled, "if I _had _said no, what do you think Sakura would have done?"

Syaoran shrugged. He could feel his palms sweat coldly from his nerves.

Fujitaka chuckled, "I can promise you, son, that she would have married you anyway. She wouldn't care what I said."

"I'm sure she'd care – " Syaoran began, but Toya quickly cut him off with a gruff, angry voice. "Weren't you supposed to make us some coffee, kid?"

Syaoran shot Toya a dagger-filled glare, then spun on his heals to the kitchen. He prepared the coffee maker and put it on, then returned to the living room.

Sakura had returned by then, wearing soft pink track-pants with a flare cut on the leg and a white v-neck tee with a white tank underneath it. She was sitting on the loveseat across from the couch, and smiled up at Syaoran. He could see the nervousness pounding in her eyes, hidden behind her smile. She held out a hand to signal him over, and he quickly obeyed. He took the seat beside her and felt he hand crawl into his. He squeezed her hand gently, trying to reassure her.

"So how far are we in these plans?" Fujitaka asked, getting right to the point. He smiled warmly at the happy couple seated across from him. "I'm sure Tomoyo has already dug into the plans, hm?"

"Er, yes," Sakura's voice shook. "We have the stationary for invitations and we'll be sending them out tonight or tomorrow morning. They're ready, though. A-And my dress is picked; Tomoyo's going to fit it for me. We worked on florals last night, and looked through some caterer ideas..."

"That's a good start," Fujitaka praised. "How about you get some of those books out and we can start helping?"

Sakura nodded and stood numbly, but Syaoran tightened his grip on her hand and tugged her back down. She shot him a confused look, her heart pounding for what was to come, but his eyes told her everything. It was time. She sighed and nodded in defeat, knowing that he was right, and squeezed his hand.

"Umm, b-before that," Sakura looked down at her lap nervously and began playing with her ring which was in the hand Syaoran clutched to. "I...We...Us...Err, we have s-something to t-t-tell you."

"Oh?" Fujitaka asked lightly, lifting an eyebrow casually. "Well then, go on Sakura. We don't have all day to get these plans done."

"R-Right," Sakura mumbled. "W-Well, the night that Syaoran proposed to me, I-I found out something else, too..."

After a pause, Fujitaka gently urged her forward, "Go on, pumpkin."

She squeezed Syaoran hand again, almost like she was trying to get strength from him. Which, in truth, was what she was doing. And she was sure that without him there all together, she would have ran a long time ago and kept the news to herself until she absolutely had to say something to her family. But now, with him there, even with her bouncing nerves, she was sure she could say it. Eventually, at least.

"Sy-Syaoran and I...Have something else we're planing for," Sakura said slowly, quietly. She was almost hoping Toya couldn't hear her. "We were going to get married no matter what, that was already planned, we're just getting married so quickly because I...don't want to be...sh-showing..."

"Showing what?" Fujitaka asked, as Toya's face slowly sank into a blank look. Oh, hell no...

Sakura turned bright, vibrant, glowing red. "I-I'm pregnant..."

The room went quiet. Sakura and Syaoran turned to each other; Syaoran giving her a reassuring, proud smile while Sakura's wide eyes showed pure nervousness. Then, simultaneously, they turned to the two men. Both had blank looks on their faces, as if they were processing the news. It took five whole seconds before Toya's face went from blank, to pink, to red, to deep purple.

Toya Kinomoto jumped to his feet, his face a furious shade of violet and his fists were shaking tightly beside him. His eyes burned with rage and murder toward Syaoran. His voice was not gentle in the least; it was loud, screaming and violent. "You knocked up my sister?! You _FUCKING_ knocked up my _BABY SISTER_?!"

"Toya!" Sakura yelled back, "I'm not a baby anymore! I'm almost twenty-four!"

"Language, Toya," Fujitaka scolded, frowning up at his son. "Calm down, please."

Toya ignored them all, his eyes only for Syaoran. He growled through clenched teeth, "Kitchen, Li. **Now**."

"No," Sakura protested, standing with Syaoran and refusing to let go of his hand. "Anything you want to say to Syaoran, you can say here in front of me."

Toya growled again, his eyes flaming up. Syaoran sighed and tore his own eyes away from the furious big brother and turned to Sakura. He gave her a weak smile, "It's alright. We'll only be a few minutes."

Sakura bit her lower lip, then turned her now angered gaze to brother. _Hurt him and die,_ she tried telling her through her gaze. Toya merely snorted at her, then turned his dagger-filled gaze back to Syaoran. Syaoran gently shook Sakura off his hand and led Toya to the kitchen.

Sakura watched them leave, then sighed heavily and closed her eyes. Well, so much for that.

Fujitaka smiled warmly at his daughter and stood up. With her eyes still closed, he approached her and wrapped his arms around her to pull her close. He heard her gasp, taken by surprise, and gently kissed her forehead. "I'm so happy for you, Sakura. Congratulations...Syaoran and you will have absolutely beautiful children."

Sakura's eyes quickly watered up. She clung to her father, burying her head in his chest, and began to sob.

**b.K.d**

Syaoran stopped in the middle of the kitchen and spun around, crossing his arms tightly across his chest and pursed his lips. "What is it, Toya?"

"You know damn well what 'it' is, boy," Toya growled. "What the hell is your problem?! How could you knock up my sister before she married? Before she was engaged, for Christ's sake!"

"We didn't plan it," Syaoran growled. "We were being careful – "

"I don't give a fuck how careful you two were!" Toya shouted. "The fact that you were screwing her to begin with is the problem!"

"She's a big girl, Toya," Syaoran raised his voice as well. "She can take care of herself. We're both adults."

"Take care of herself," Toya scoffed gently, chuckling coldly. His eyes flickered to the doorway, then shot back to Syaoran. He took an intimidating step toward the boy, then threw his fist into his gut.

Syaoran's eyes widened. The wind was momentarily knocked out of him and he had to gasp for a new breath. He fell to his knees, clutching his stomach. When he was able to compose himself, remaining on the ground, he shot a flame-filled glare up to Toya who was still standing over him. "What the fuck was that for, Kinomoto?!"

Toya heaved in and out, his breathing deep and shallow. His eyes were strained, glossy and red, as if holding in his tears. "How could you fucking do this to her?! You were supposed to love her! To take care of her, you asshole! But no, you fucking left her for four fucking years! Four _**fucking **_years!"

Syaoran groaned; not just from the physical pain, but also from the memories of a year ago when he found Sakura at the bar as Blossom. From the pain of being told what had happened when he had left. From the pain of seeing her cry from years of pain. From the pain of seeing her so ready to jump off the building and kill herself...

"I...Didn't mean to hurt her..." Syaoran swallowed the tears in his throat, looking down at the tile floor.

"Well you did," Toya spat. "She was depressed beyond belief. She wasn't my little sister. When she moved for university, she slowly stopped contacting Dad and I. For a month, she didn't answer...And then she'd talk to us briefly, but I couldn't tell is she was happy or not. Then suddenly, she just stopped. I called Tomoyo, but all that girl would do was cry and say she was sorry. She never gave me an answer. But I knew it was all because of you. It was all your fucking fault. Then Dad got a call about dropping her courses, and we couldn't even contact her to find out the reason why!"

He paused, tears prickling his eyes. "My baby sister was lost, you asshole. You fucking destroyed her when you left! I always knew it was you, even if no one told me that. It doesn't take a fucking genius to realize that!"

Syaoran suddenly stiffened and shot his head back up. His eyes were red and puffy from crying, much to Toya's surprise. He jumped to his feet, a new determination shining in his eyes. His hands curled into useless fists by his sides. "You're right. I did hurt her. I was an asshole. I know that. But I fixed it as soon as I found out, dammit!"

"She's not a toy you can fix, Li," Toya growled.

Syaoran scoffed coldly, "Funny, she said the same thing. Yet here we are..."

Toya's red-strained eyes narrowed on the younger man, "It's amazing what guilt will make one do."

"Guilt?!" Syaoran roared, enraged. "Guilt?! What the fuck is that?! I would never do anything like that out of guilt, you idiot! Who would?!"

Toya scoffed and turned away, his hair falling in front of his face, making Syaoran's blood boil even more. His body began to shake, "I love her Toya, you understand? **I. Love. Her.** Always have...And I always will. So get the fuck over it and live with it, because I'm never leaving her again. I'm here for good."

There was silence for a few minutes, the only sound that filled the still air being Syaoran's heavy, angered breathing. Syaoran couldn't see Toya's facial expression through his hair, but after a few moments of silence, he saw the man's body begin to tremble. He opened his mouth to ask what was going on, when he saw a drop of water fall from his face to the floor; a tear.

Syaoran's face sudden softened, actually feeling remorse for the guy. He cautiously approached the man and laid a hand on his shoulder. As soon as his hand touched his shoulder, Toya began sobbing harder, his whole body racking with silent tears.

"She's...She's my little sister, dammit," Toya cried softly, angrily, hating that the kid was comforting him. "And I couldn't even protect her from the likes of you. I didn't think I had to, so I finally let go. Shit, that was my first fucking mistake."

Syaoran actually felt his heart reach out for the guy. He opened his mouth to say something but the coffee maker gave a small 'beep', indicating that coffee was made. Syaoran turned and grabbed three mugs from the cupboard – since Sakura could no longer drink coffee due to the baby – and poured the hot, brownish-black liquid into each one. He poured two teaspoons of sugar into one mug and handed it to Toya, remembering how he liked it; he used to pick one up for Toya ever morning he'd pick Sakura up for school, trying to suck up. It never worked and by high school, Syaoran gave up.

Toya stood back up completely and looked down at the mug in Syaoran's hands. With red, puffy eyes, he reached out and took it. He took one long swig of it and sighed contentedly.

"I know I've made mistakes," Syaoran mumbled, turning back to the two remaining mugs. He put some milk and one teaspoon of sugar into the one for Fujitaka and made his black with three teaspoons. He turned back to Toya with both mugs in hand, "But I really do love her, and I've fixed my past mistakes. I'm never leaving her side again, Toya. No one can make me leave her side."

Toya smirked, "Even if she wanted you to leave?"

"If she wanted me to leave...I would," Syaoran shrugged, pained by the idea. "But, I would fight and try and change her mind."

Toya gave a small smile, then scoffed and turned back to his coffee. "I still don't trust you or like you, boy."

Syaoran smirked, "I'd never expect that."

They looked at each other for a moment and gave a light chuckle. Toya slapped Syaoran on the back friendly, but then grabbed the back of his hair and pulled him to he was looking up at him. His eyes suddenly became venomous once more, "But if you _ever _hurt her again, no one will hold me back tanning your fucking hide and killing you. Understand?"

"I never would," Syaoran promised, his eyes glistening truthfully. "And if I ever did, I'll even supply you with the knife to tan me and a shovel to bury me. That is, if you able to get me before I killed myself."

Toya gave a small 'tch' and roughly let him go, then strode out of the kitchen and back to the living room to see his sister and father embracing. He heard Syaoran shuffle behind him, then Toya gave a small cough to announce their arrival.

Sakura pulled away from her father, her eyes a bit red, and smiled to Syaoran once seeing him in one piece. Thankfully, there was no bruise from Toya's punch earlier, even with how hard it had been. Syaoran smiled back and walked over to her. He encased her in his arms and kissed her forehead.

"You alright?" He asked her, whispering against her forehead. He began caressing her bare arm lovingly.

Sakura nodded and traced the line between his chest muscles. "I'm fine. And you?"

Syaoran chuckled, "Still alive."

Syaoran turned to Fujitaka, and immediately felt guilt rip through him. "Mr. Kinomoto, sir, I-I'm sorry. We were being very careful, we really were – "

"Do you regret it?" Fujitaka cut him off. "Do you wish that she wasn't pregnant?"

Syaoran paused and looked back down at Sakura. She was looking up at him, her eyes wide and anticipating. She had her lower lip between her teeth, anxiously waiting his answer. He smiled at her reassuringly and kissed her forehead. He pulled her to his chest, cradling her head in the crook of his neck, and turned back to Fujitaka.

"Never," Syaoran said sincerely, truth shining in his eyes. "It was a bit unexpectant, yes, but I'd never change it for the world. I love Sakura, and I love our child. I've always known she's mother my children."

Fujitaka smiled and nodded, "Then don't apologize, Syaoran. I know you love her, and vice versa. And although I know you've made mistakes in your past" – Syaoran flushed, ashamed, and nodded for him to continue – "I know you've fixed them."

Syaoran swallowed the tears building up in his throat. He nodded, "Thank you, Mr. Ki – "

"You're family, Syaoran," Fujitaka cut him off again. "No need to be so formal. Call me 'Fujitaka'."

Syaoran slowly smiled and nodded. He had told him the same thing when Sakura and him were in high school, but Syaoran had never taken up the offer. He just couldn't seem to bring himself to call the man by his first name. But now, it felt right. It was right.

"Thank you," Syaoran repeated. "Fujitaka."

Fujitaka smiled, pride in his eyes. "Now then, take a seat and let's get on with these plans. We have a lot to do!"

* * *

**Author's Note:** **Yaay! Thanks for all the reviews!! I got needed reviews in today, so here's your update!! Hope I didn't disappoint you in Toya's reaction ^.^ I thought it was pretty good, but let me hear your thoughts!! Good...? Bad...?**

**PLEASE send in the reviews!!!!!**

**XOX, Riva**

_Next Chapter...._ _The Kinomotos know and there's ton to get done!! As well, it's Sakura and Syaoran's first lamaze class together. What could possibly happen there? And the two STILL don't have any private time together!!! What is a young couple to do?! _


	4. Chapter 4

**Her Rising Saviour:**

_Chapter four - Real_

* * *

Sakura watched her father and brother walk down the hall and disappear past the elevator doors. She sighed and closed the door, then let her head fall against the closed door and closed her eyes.

"Well," Syaoran chuckled. He wrapped his arms around her waist from behind and kissed the crook of her neck, keeping his head cradled against her skin. "That went well."

Sakura groaned, "If you call that well, then yes. But Toya completely over-reacted."

Syaoran shrugged against her, eyes closed, "Of course he did. He's Toya."

Sakura sighed again, making Syaoran chuckle. It was now going into the evening, close to dinner. The Kinomotos had spent the entire day at their apartment.

Suddenly, Sakura grinned evilly. She turned around in Syaoran's arms and wrapped her own arms around his neck. She pulled him to her, pressing him against her. Her fingers began to swirl the hair at the base of his neck, teasing him. She heard a low growl come from deep in his throat as he caught onto her mood.

"You know," she whispered seductively, pulling one of her hands away from his hair. She trailed a finger along his cheek to his lips and left it there. She looked into his eyes and recognized the sudden lust in his gaze. "We haven't been able to really _do _anything since that night at the karaoke bar_..._Been too busy."

Syaoran licked his lips and leaned in slightly, "We've done things..."

Sakura smirked, "You know what I mean. What? Afraid that a little hand is going to grab you while you're in m – "

"Ugh!" Syaoran groaned, irritated. He threw back his head in disgust. "Are you _trying_ to kill the mood?!"

"Sorry, sorry," Sakura giggled. When she got the giggling over with, she tugged on Syaoran's shirt and pulled him close again. She put her lips to his ear and brought his earlobe between her lips, then slowly scraped her teeth along it. She then proceeded to repeat this process of suckling his sensitive earlobe.

Syaoran closed his eyes and gave a low moan. He trailed his hands up her body toward her breasts and squeezed both of them. He heard Sakura gasp in his ear, her hot breath flowing over his warmed skin. He felt her lips leave a warm, wet kiss just below her ear as he began to kneed her breasts.

Sakura hooked her leg around his waist and pressed herself to him, earning a moan from both of them. She could feel him hardening up already. With shaking hands, she moved her hands to unbutton his button-down tee and slid it off his arms. She threw it, not giving a damn where it landed.

Syaoran pushed her shirt up so that he could move his hands along the skin of her stomach. He slid his hands along her stomach and up to her chest again. His hands slipped under her bra and made contact with the round mounds it hid. He grasped them, earning a gasp from Sakura, and ran his thumb over the tiny nubs he could feel. They immediately perked up and hardened beneath his touch.

Sakura's breathing began to grow shallow as Syaoran fondled her breasts. She ran her hands up and down his chest, leaving wet, open-mouthed kisses here and there. She could feel him trembling beneath her touch, sending an aching pain downward. As if knowing what she needed, one of Syaoran's hands left her breast and went into her pants and panties. She felt his finger quickly find her clit and began to slowly circle around it. She gave a low, drawn-out groan at the pleasure and torture of his slow touch.

"Syaoran..." She groaned.

"God, Sakura," Syaoran moaned back. He slid his fingers farther down, between her slits, then back to her clit and groaned darkly in the back of his throat. He was painfully hard now, and was sure Sakura could feel him even though his jeans. "God, you're so wet already."

Sakura nodded with a small moan. Her hands, shaking, went and quickly unbuckled his belt. She pushed down his jeans and grabbed him through his boxers. She felt him stiffen and then give a long, low throaty groan. He was already rock hard.

"I need you," Sakura whispered in his ear, her voice raspy and her breathing harsh. "I need you _now_."

Syaoran nodded with a grunt and brought his hand out of her pants. He quickly pushed down her pants as Sakura pushed down his boxers. She grasped him again more and swirled the drop of moisture at the tip of his cock around the reddening bulge. Syaoran lowered his mouth to her nipple and brought it into his mouth, sucking hard. Sakura gasped out his name as he began to thrust into her hand.

Syaoran pulled back and crashed his lips to hers in a hungry, passion filled kiss. Sakura let go of him and threw her arms around his neck again, tugging on his hair to try and push him closer to her. His hands roamed free on her as he pressed himself against her, his cock at her entrance.

"God," he groaned into her mouth when he pulled away. Sakura pushed his mouth to hers again and the hard kiss continued. He managed to pull away for breath, rubbing himself up and down her extremely moist lower lips. "God, God, _God_...Sakura, now...Now..."

Sakura nodded, "Now."

Their lips crashed again as Syaoran began to inch himself into her slowly, almost painfully. He wasn't far inside her when the phone's shrilling ring split through the air, making them jump apart in surprise. Sakura pressed her back to the door, her breathing hard and uneven, as Syaoran stumbled back and tripped over the pants around his ankle, falling to the ground. They stared at each other with wide, wild eyes as the phone rang again.

Sakura cursed under her breath, earning a chuckle from Syaoran, as she stepped out of her pants and went into the living room for the phone. On the way she found Syaoran's shirt she had thrown earlier and slipped her arms into it. It covered her ass, at least, and with shaking hands she buttoned two buttons so her perky breasts weren't shown as much.

"Hello?" She picked up the phone, still breathless.

"Sakura!" Tomoyo sang happily. "Oh, so you are home! Goodie! I have a surprise for you and Syaoran."

Sakura gave an annoyed groan, which she was sure Tomoyo took no notice to. At that point, Syaoran came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close. Through the thin material Sakura wore, she could feel that he was wearing his jeans again though no belt, making her presume he had just pulled them on without doing them up. He rested his head on her shoulder and kissed the side of her neck. Sakura closed her eyes and brought a hand up to his head and began lighting dragging her nails through his hair. He growled playfully, making Sakura's mood lighten slightly as she stifled a giggle.

"Oh," Tomoyo said, caught off guard. Suddenly her voice became teasing. "Is this a bad time, Sakura dear?"

"Yes," Syaoran growled, hearing her through the phone. He lightly bit Sakura's shoulder, making her squeal. "You are."

"Well too bad," Tomoyo sassed back. "Your fun can wait."

Both Sakura and Syaoran sighed in annoyance. Syaoran tightened his grip on Sakura and backed them up to the couch. He sat down and pulled her down on top so she was sitting on him. Sakura swung her legs so she had both on his left side, then laid her head on his shoulder and began trailing her free hand up and down his chest, making him tremble. Syaoran returned the gesture; his hand went under the shirt she wore and began dancing up and down her side.

"So what is it, Tomoyo?" Sakura asked lazily, closing her eyes. Syaoran's touch was so soft and loving, it was comforting. She could feel him laying gentle kissed through her hair.

"You'll never guess what I got planned for you tomorrow..." Tomoyo said with excitement in her voice. She didn't wait for an answer, "I got you guys into a lamaze class!"

"What?!" Sakura screeched, her eyes flying open. She sat up quickly, earning a confused frown from Syaoran. His hand remained resting against the skin of her hip. "Why?!"

"Oh, please, Sakura," Tomoyo tisked. "Don't be so dramatic. You already knew you were going to sign up for a course anyway."

"Yeah," Sakura choked, "closer to the due date. Like when I'm five or six months along."

"Oh nonsense," Sakura could almost imagine Tomoyo waving her hand in dismissal. "Now is perfectly fine. Now, it's at 2:30 tomorrow at the Health Centre, alright? I've got a reserved spot for you and everything. Besides, since it's weekly this week is only an introduction and light class."

Sakura sighed loudly and flopped back against Syaoran. His caressing continued again. "Fine, Tomoyo. We'll be there."

Tomoyo squealed loudly. "I knew you'd do it! G'night!"

"Good night, Tomoyo," Sakura sighed and hung up. She cuddled into Syaoran and kissed his chest.

"What is it?" Syaoran asked softly.

"Tomoyo's gotten us into a lamaze class," Sakura mumbled tiredly.

"Oh?" Syaoran said, raising an eyebrow. Sakura and him had already spoken about this, but she hadn't wanted to go for a few more months. "And we're going?"

"I suppose so," Sakura sighed, closing her eyes again and soaking in his warmth. "She's signed us up and everything, so..."

Syaoran chuckled, "You sound tired, sweetie. Did I really tire you out?"

Sakura playfully slapped his chest, though it hardly made any sound at all from her lack of energy. "Shut up and stop being so cocky."

"Wow," Syaoran mused, a large smirk across his face. "And I barely touched you..."

"Shut up..." Sakura growled.

"Okay, okay," Syaoran chuckled again. He wrapped one arm around her shoulders and the other under her legs and stood up. She squealed and wrapped her arms around her neck, holding on tightly.

"Wh-What are you doing?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Syaoran smiled down at her as he brought them to the bedroom. He stopped at the bed, leaned down to brush his lips against her forehead, then laid her down. He pulled the blankets up around her, then sat down beside her. He trailed a finger along her face. "You're going to take a nap."

Sakura frowned, "I'm not a kid. I can stay up."

"You're tired," he said quietly, trying to soothe her. "Just take a short nap and I'll wake you when I'm done dinner. Alright?"

Sakura pursed her lips, but didn't argue. His touch was so soothing, she couldn't help it but give in. Her eyelids fluttered closed as a small sigh escaped her. "'Kay...sorry."

"What for?" Syaoran chuckled softly.

"Not finishing what we started," she mumbled, obviously drifting to sleep. "We'll finish tonight..."

Syaoran smiled, "Perhaps not tonight, babe. You're too tired."

Sakura pouted, but didn't open her eyes. Her body felt heavy with sleep. "Love you..."

Syaoran smiled and removed his hand from her face. He bent down and laid a swift kiss on the tip of her nose, "Sleep well, beautiful. I'll wake you in an hour or two."

But Sakura was far from hearing as she had already fallen asleep. He chuckled once more and left the room, closing the door behind him.

**b.K.d**

Sakura held Syaoran's hand as the entered the Health Centre building. She was, surprisingly, nervous about the whole thing.

They went to the reception desk and asked for the room, then went on their way down the directed hall. When they stopped in front of the door, Sakura's voice caught. Syaoran caught this and turned to her, pausing from opening the door. He squeezed her hand and frowned.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Sakura said quickly. "Just...Nervous, I suppose."

Syaoran gave her a reassuring smile, "There's nothing to be worried about. But if you don't want to..."

"No!" Sakura said. She took a deep breath and forced a smile, "I'm fine. Let's go."

Inside, there were eleven other couples. The eleven other pregnant women were at different stages, two seeming to be as far as Sakura while one seemed to be nearing her last month or two. In the front of the room stood a woman in her thirties, wearing a paint-stained tee with the Health Centre logo on it and yoga pants. She had long reddish-brown hair tied up in a lose pony-tail.

"Welcome to Lamaze 101!" The woman welcomed. "Please take a seat on the floor."

The two listened and took a seat on the opposite side of the room, by a female couple. The woman in charge smiled at her group and clasped her hands together. "Now, I thought we'd start off with introductions. I'm Kaho Mizuki. I myself don't have any children, but I am a certified professional in lamaze and child growth and development."

She turned to Sakura and Syaoran and gave a slight nod. The two blushed slightly at realizing that they'd be starting the group introductions. Syaoran stood up and helped Sakura to her feet, then both turned to face their group of peers.

"I'm Syaoran Li," Syaoran introduced. He held Sakura comfortingly around the waist. "And this is my fiancé, Sakura. We're almost a month along, and this is our first child."

The group clapped politely so the couple could sit down. Sitting down, Syaoran turned to see Sakura scarlet red. He leaned over to whisper in her ear, "You alright?"

"What must they think?" She asked, horrified. "That we're not even married yet."

"Who cares?" Syaoran asked, amused. He leaned over and brushed his lips against her cheek. "Don't let what they _might _think bother you."

The two women beside them stood next. The one, the pregnant one, had short brown hair and matching wide eyes, holding the innocence of a child and yet seemed very intelligent. The girl that stood beside her had light chestnut hair in two childish pigtails encased in thick red ribbons.

"I'm Rika Sasaki," the woman with short hair said quietly, looking at the ground. "I'm five months along. And this is my best friend, Chiharu Mihara."

Rika went to sit, but Chiharu stopped her. She eyed her with strong, determined eyes and turned to the rest of the group. She seemed almost angry, "And no, we're _**not**_ lesbian. The bastard who impregnated her left her, so don't even think about getting the wrong idea."

Rika blushed scarlet, "Ch-Chiharu..."

"What?!" Chiharu snapped. "I'm sick of people getting the wrong idea!"

Chiharu sat down with a small 'hmph!' as the rest of the class continued to stare at her. Rika slowly sat down beside her and cast her eyes downward, embarrassed, pain-filled tears rimming her eyes.

Sakura watched Rika with sorrow-filled eyes. She felt so bad for the woman, as if she could feel her pain. She shuffled away from Syaoran and reached out for the woman. She gentle took her and and squeezed, receiving a protective glare from Chiharu and a confused, tear-filled gaze from Rika.

Sakura smiled warmly, "You're very strong, Rika. You'll be alright."

Rika's eyes widened for a moment, and then softened. She nodded with a smile, "Thank you."

Once the introductions were done, Kaho clasped her hands together and smiled to her students. "So I thought, since it's only the first week, we'd try some breathing techniques. Men, grab a pillow."

She waited until all the men – and Chiharu – got a pillow from the back wall, then continued, "Now, I want you to lean back on the pillow, but remain sitting up. Keep your knees bent and spread your legs...That's it. Now women, go between their legs and lean your back against them. Put your legs the same way as theirs and press your legs against the inside of theirs....Yes, perfect!

"Next," she continued, "men, put your hands palm-up on your knees so the woman can put their hand in yours. Women, take a deep breath....In...And out. In...And out."

Sakura closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, then exhaled just as deep. She felt Syaoran's hands wrap around hers, intwining their fingers together. They squeezed hands as she took another deep breath.

"Very good!" Kaho praised as she walked around the room.

Syaoran lowered his head to her ear and spoke in a calm yet commanding tone. "Breath in...And out. In...And out. There you go. Good girl..."

Sakura smiled and opened her mouth. She tilted her head back onto his shoulder and continued her breathing as she looked up at him. The softness and loving glaze in his eyes caught her off guard and her breath caught in her throat. His dark brown eyes were sudden so soft and warm and loving and comforting. And even though she had seen the look many times, for some reason it was different.

In the background, both could hear Kaho praising everyone and correcting some positions, but it was very faint and foggy. At that moment, it was only the two of them. It was only Sakura and Syaoran. Nothing else mattered and no one else was there. It was their own place, their own heaven.

Finally, Syaoran lowered his head and brushed his lips against hers. "I love you."

Sakura smiled and closed her eyes, trying to keep up her deep breathing. "I love _you_."

An hour after the class began, Sakura and Syaoran were outside with a small folder of papers about the course, walking back together to their car. On the walk back to the car, Sakura kept stealing concerned glances to Syaoran. For the remaining class after the breathing lesson, he had seemed distant or in thought.

"Poor Rika," Sakura said as they got into the car, trying to start up a conversation. "How could someone do that to a woman?"

"Yeah," Syaoran nodded in agreement.

Sakura frowned at his lack of conversation and pushed forward. "And she seems so nice...At least she has a friend like Chiharu. Together they seem like two very strong women, huh?"

"Yeah, very strong," Syaoran agreed again.

Sakura watched him for another moment, then sighed and dramatically flopped back into her seat. The remaining ride home was quiet. And when the got to their apartment, Sakura moved to go straight to their bedroom. She wanted to grab her slippers for her cold feet. But Syaoran's hand grabbed her wrist and stopped her.

"Sakura, can we, um...talk?" He asked nervously.

Sakura frowned at him, not used to him acting so nervous. Worried about him, she nodded and allowed him to lead her to the living room. He sat her on the couch and knelt in front of her, holding her small hands in his own.

"I want to do something," he said quietly, looking into her eyes, "but I want you to be okay with it and not become upset."

Sakura's heartbeat picked up, "What is it?"

"I-I want us to try and go without sex until we're married," he suggested. When he saw her eyes widen in surprise and her body stiffen, he immediately spoke up. "Not that I don't want you! I really, really do! But...I feel bad that we didn't wait for marriage. Like I took something from you. And I think we should wait so we can have a somewhat real honeymoon. I know it won't be the same as a virgin honeymoon, but it'll be special nonetheless..."

"You regret having sex with me?" She asked in a small voice.

"God no!" He said quickly, squeezing her hand. "That isn't it at all. I didn't want you to get all upset about this. I just think that it'll bring us closer together, having to go without each other until marriage. And it'll make that night just that more special."

Sakura frowned. More special..?

"Only if you want to," Syaoran added quickly, quietly. "Think it over."

He stood up and leaned down to kiss her forehead, then pulled away to go and get something to eat in the kitchen. He turned to leave when Sakura grabbed onto his hand and stopped him. When he turned back to her, she was smiling sheepishly.

"Thank you," she whispered and stood up, still holding his hand. "Honestly, I think it's a great idea. It really will make that night all that more special. But..." her eyes lit up playfully, "will you be able to hold out that long?"

Syaoran looked at her for a moment, then chuckled. "Have some faith in me, please. You'll wound my ego."

Sakura laughed softly, making Syaoran's face light up. He leaned down and crushed his lips to hers in a soft yet powerful kiss.

And the torturous two-and-a-half months began for the two. But would they be able to hold off from the sweetness of each other?

* * *

**Author's Note: Thanks to everyone who reviewed! I got the reviews I needed for an early update all in the weekend, so here's the early update!! (That, and I was home sick today T^T so I had the time to write the chapter out ^.- lucky lucky)**

**Hope this had the citrus some people wanted ^.- though you've seen the ending...Who thinks they'll hold out??**

**Please leave a review!!**

**Oh....thanks to _-x-Sakura Li-x- _, I realized that I hadn't disabled annonymus reviews ^.^ I fixed that up. Thanks hun!!**

**XOX, Riva**

_Next Time...: No sex for nearly three months?! Well...that can't be too hard, right? Right? The wedding plans continue and Syaoran gets a call. And...Baby shopping? With Tomoyo? This can't be pretty..._


	5. Chapter 5

**Her Rising Saviour:**

_Chapter Five - Chocolate!!!_

* * *

Syaoran watched Sakura race around the apartment, chuckling to himself. He himself sat on the couch, one arm slung over the back and the other on his leg holding a mug of coffee. He was only dressed in a pair of boxers, since it was early morning. He had the day off, and he was not feeling rushed to prepare for the day.

Sakura, on the other hand, was. And he was quite amused with her frantic scurrying. She and Tomoyo had a shopping day planned. Currently, she was rushing around in her jeans and bra, looking for a tank top she had washed. But five minutes before, she was rushing in and out of the kitchen, trying to multitask between making breakfast and finding her purse. The eggs burnt.

"Sakura," Syaoran suppressed a smile as she began tossing cushions off the couch in a frenzy look for this tank top. He stood up, out of her way as she gave a small noise of annoyance at the failed attempt to find it. "Why don't you just wear another tank? Or another shirt?"

"I can't, Syaoran," she growled angrily, putting the pillows back. "I only have one black tank top. And I don't _want _to wear another shirt!"

He gave a small chuckle and sat down, sipping at his coffee as Sakura ran out of the room. He picked up a _Men's Health _magazine from the coffee table and began flipping through it lazily. After a moment, he heard her squeal "Found it!" and the bathroom door slam close.

Fifteen minutes later, at nine o'clock, a small tap at the door alerted Syaoran. He set his magazine and coffee on the table in front of him and stood up to answer it. He smiled warmly at the woman standing in the hall, "Good morning, Tomoyo."

She smiled just as warmly at him and stepped into the apartment, "Syaoran."

"Hey Tomo..." Sakura greeted as she came around the hallway corner. Her eyes widened on Syaoran, then narrowed angrily. "What are you doing answering the door in you underwear?! What about some pants and a shirt!"

Syaoran smirked, "Sakura, it's not like she hasn't seen any of this before – "

"Syaoran," Tomoyo cut him off, elbowing him in the ribs. "Just go with it and agree."

Syaoran frowned and turned to her to whisper back, "Why? I'm sure she's just kidding around."

Tomoyo laughed softly, "She's obviously moody this morning...Oh! Baby mood-swings!"

"What are you two talking about?!" Sakura demanded, annoyed that she couldn't hear them. When they simply looked at her and smiled, she sighed angrily and grabbed her purse off the floor. She stormed out of the apartment and down the hall.

Syaoran turned to Tomoyo with a taunting smile, "Well, have fun."

Tomoyo rolled her eyes, "I'll return her by four."

Syaoran poked his head out of the door and watched the door walk down the hall. When they disappeared into the elevator, he went back into the apartment and closed the door. Then he went into the kitchen to clean up the mess Sakura had left.

**b.K.d**

Sakura sighed contentedly and put down her paper bowl-cup with a small clunk. She smiled weakly to Tomoyo, embarrassment washing over her as she twirled the tiny plastic spoon on the countertop.

"Umm, sorry for earlier..." she mumbled softly. "I don't know what happened to me. I just very suddenly wanted someone chocolatey and cold and became upset that we didn't have any. That was childish behaviour, sorry."

Tomoyo giggled, "Not a problem, sweetie. I understand that you're going to be going through some mood swings with the pregnancy hormones coursing through your body. It's nothing to apologize for. It's normal."

"But the way I yelled at Syaoran," Sakura mused regretfully. "I mean, I usually don't care if he answers the door for you in his boxers because, well, you have Eriol and don't really care. But I just...completely..._lost_ it." She let her head fall to the table. "God, I'm such an idiot."

"Syaoran understand too, Sakura," Tomoyo reassured her. "He's not angry, I promise you. If anything, I think he found it funny."

Sakura sat back up and stood up. She slung her purse over her shoulder and grabbed her garbage and threw it into the food courts trash bin. "I should do something to make it up to him, maybe get something from La Vie En Rose..." She suddenly stopped, remembering their talk from the previous night.

"_I-I want us to try and go without sex until we're married," he suggested. _

Sakura gave a small groan; well, there goes that idea.

Tomoyo caught this and frowned, "What's wrong?"

Sakura's face turned bright red. She turned to Tomoyo sheepishly, then pulled her away from the crowd they were in and into the women's bathroom. Thankfully, it was empty. She brought her voice down low, her face glowing red. "Syaoran and I have decided to go without sex until we're married."

"What?!" Tomoyo gasped, wide eyed. "Are you serious? But you two are _obviously_" she ran her hand up and down in the air, indicating Sakura's stomach "already having intercourse. So why this decision?"

"Syaoran thinks that if we hold out from now until the wedding, it'll make the honeymoon that much more sweeter for each other," Sakura explained. "He's kind'a upset that he can't give me a real honeymoon since we already extended our relationship to this when we were teens."

Suddenly, Tomoyo's eyes turned sappy and shone. "Aww! That's so amazingly romantic!"

Sakura smiled wryly, "Yeah, it is."

"Alright then," Tomoyo said, leading them out of the bathroom. "Well, if you 'want to make it up to him', I suppose La Vie En Rose or Victoria's Secret is out of the question."

Sakura laughed softly, "Exactly what I was thinking."

"How about taking in a movie?" Tomoyo suggested. "I'm sure we can find something good at HMV."

"That's perfect!" Sakura squealed, beaming. "Thanks so much!"

Tomoyo giggled, "Not a problem, hun. But first..." she stopped in front of a store. "I need some new cosmetics!"

Sakura giggled softly as she followed Tomoyo into Clinique, their arms linked together.

**b.K.d**

Syaoran unlocked the door to his apartment and tossed his gym bag onto the floor in the entrance hall. His stomach growled for lunch, but he detoured to the bathroom first. After a quick shower and changing into some clean clothes – jeans and a Nike tee – he went into the kitchen for some food.

He dug through the fridge and found some left over pasta from the night before. He threw it into the microwave and poured himself a glass of ice-cold water. He leaned against the kitchen counter and shoved a fork-full of the food into his mouth.

He was just putting his bowl into the sink when the phone rang. He walked briskly into the living room to answer it. His heart nearly gave out at the icy, formal reply he got with his welcome.

"M-Mother?" He choked, shocked. He hasn't expected a call from her. "What's wrong?"

"I got your invitation in the mail today, Xiao Lang," she replied tightly.

Syaoran mentally groaned; she was using his Chinese name. That was never a good sign. "I'm glad."

"This wedding is to Miss Sakura Kinomoto?" She asked with a tone in her voice. "I was not aware that you and Miss Kinomoto were even together again."

Syaoran immediately felt his body stiffen and anger blaze through him. He forced himself to hold his tongue and keep his voice calm, "That's correct, Mother. Sakura and I have been seeing each other for over a year now. I found her when I came back to Japan."

There was a long pause, and then Yelan Li sighed heavily into the phone. Syaoran could almost see her pinching the bridge of her nose. "When are you going to realize that she is not a suitable wife, Xiao Lang? I thought this was just a fling."

Syaoran clenched his jaw, "I will marry who I choose, Mother. And she's perfectly fine. How could you possibly think Sakura and I were merely a fling?"

"You left her for China, didn't you?" Yelan shot and quickly continued before her son could retaliate. "How about that nice Mei Ling girl I introduced you to here, son? She was a nice girl, and she came from such a respectable family. She'd be a much better suited wife."

Syaoran trembled, remembering Mei Ling. She was an obnoxious young woman three years younger than Syaoran who clung to his arm whenever she could and referred to herself as his fiancé. Her father and his mother tried desperately to push them together, much to the girl's amusement. Syaoran, on the other hand, couldn't stand her.

But his mother's words stung him. He had never understood why she didn't like Sakura. She seemed to put up with the idea of him dating her when they first began to go out, but half way through high school, when Syaoran brought Sakura to China to meet his mother one summer, she seemed disgusted. She pulled Syaoran aside and said how horrid it was for him to be dating such a commoner still.

"Mei Ling was a brat," Syaoran shot to his mother, ignoring her gasp for his impolite tone. "There's more to a wife than a 'respectable' family, Mother."

"Xiao Lang, I could deal with this girl as a fling. I understand that as a young man, you needed to get the feel of women under your belt. But enough is enough. I forced you to come back to China in hopes of you finding a real woman to become your wife. Why do you defy me?"

"Sakura never was and never will be a fling!" He yelled angrily, his whole body shaking with rage. He had never in his life remembered being so angry with his mother. Suddenly, it was like he didn't remember the manners he was brought up with toward his elders and parents. All he could feel was anger. "She's the woman I love and always have. Always will. Nothing, and I mean _nothing_, can change that."

"Xiao Lang," his mother scolded. "She's just a girl. Get over it and leave her. She'll only bring you down."

"You don't get it, do you?!" Syaoran seethed. "I _love _her, Mother. And she's carrying _my_ child. I _will _marry her...And if you want, you can come to the wedding as we've invited you. But you cannot stop this decision."

There was a long, uncomfortable pause. Syaoran's heart raced and his body burned with rage. He had never spoken out of term with his mother. He had never spoken back to his mother. Not even when he first brought Sakura to her and she had pulled Syaoran aside. He had shrugged it off and pretended he had never heard it to begin with, thinking she'd get over it.

Finally, Yelan spoke. And it was quiet, as if shocked beyond belief. "She's carrying your child?"

Syaoran's angered-hot body suddenly froze cold. His breath caught nervously. Oh shit, he slipped. His palms began to sweat clammy. "Y-Yes."

Another smaller pause, and then, "How...How long?"

"A month," he answered.

"Is this...Is this the reason for the wedding?" She asked quietly. "Xiao Lang...Syaoran...son, you don't have to tie yourself down with this girl just because of something so silly. We can cover it up and pay her money to help raise the child. Or there's abortion."

"Are you mad?!" Syaoran's anger rose again. "I'm not leaving her, Mother. Get over that. As for abortion...How could you possibly suggest that? How can you kill something so easily?"

"It can't feel yet," she reasoned. "It's just that so far – a thing. It'd be fine."

"Fuck no!" He heard her gasp at his language – another first. "That's unacceptable. I love that _thing_, as you've coldly put it."

"Xiao Lang..." she began in a testing tone.

"No, I'm done this conversation," he snarled. "Now, you can either come to the wedding or not. I don't care. I'd rather you did since you are my mother, but I will not tolerate any cold or rude behaviour toward Sakura or this baby."

"Xiao – "

He hung up before she could answer, slamming the phone down. He collapsed onto the couch and threw his head down between his knees, then grabbed a fistful of hair and screamed angrily.

**b.K.d**

"I'm home!" Sakura rang out happily, holding bags in her hands. She got no response and frowned, slipping off her shoes and wandered into the hall. She found Syaoran sitting on the couch, looking out toward the balcony's sliding glass door to outside. She smiled and put her bags down, then walked over and sat beside him. She slunk her arm around him and felt him stiffen.

She frowned and pulled away as he turned around her. She saw his eyes soften apologetically and he pulled her into his arms, "Sorry Sakura...I didn't hear you come in."

"Are you alright?" She asked, concerned. "I called out but no one answered."

"Sorry," he apologized again. "I was just preoccupied, I guess."

"S'kay," Sakura smiled and pulled back. Her face glowed happily.

Syaoran chuckled, trying to push the day's earlier events with his mother away. "Well, someone's in a better mood than this morning."

Sakura flushed bright red and looked away, "Yeah, err, sorry. I – "

Syaoran shut her up by placing a finger on her chin to turn her head toward him and leaned in for a light kiss. "It's fine, really. I understand."

"I brought some things home to make it up," Sakura offered, biting her lower lip nervously. She stood up and went back to her bags. She picked them up and indicated to Syaoran to follow with a nudge of her head, and led him to the kitchen. She placed the bags on the counter and pulled out a paper bag with red writing on it from one plastic bag.

Syaoran chuckled, "Chinese?" How ironic.

"Yeah," Sakura smiled, going to the cupboard to grab two plates. "I figured some take-out would be nice today. And I bought some chocolate ice-cream from _Cows _and a new movie."

Syaoran smiled warmly as she began pulling out the dishes from the paper bag. She had bought Cantonese Chow Mein, Beef and Broccoli, Shanghai Spicy Noodles, Fried Rice, General Tao Chicken and vegetable spring rolls.

Then, something stuck. He frowned slightly and went through the bags; sure enough, he found a tub of chocolate ice-cream. "Chocolate? But your favourite is strawberry. You always get strawberry."

She tinged pink again, "W-Well, you favourite is chocolate, is it not?"

"Yes," Syaoran agreed. "But it's never stopped you from getting strawberry before."

Sakura handed Syaoran his plate, along with a plum-sauce packet and a pair of chopsticks. She kept her eyes on her own plate, away from his curious gaze. "I seem to have a craving for chocolate tonight."

"Ah," Syaoran simply said, understanding. He watched her shuffle uncomfortably and frowned. "Are you embarrassed?"

"Well, yeah," she admitted with a dry laugh. "I feel weak having these cravings. It was why I was moody this morning; because we didn't have any. It was like when I wanted it, I needed it at that precise moment." She looked up and smiled sheepishly, "Sorry."

Syaoran smiled back, trying to comfort her. He leaned down and brushed his lips against hers, "Don't be. I get it." He saw her force a smile and decided it was time to change the subject, "And what movie did you get?"

"I didn't know what mood you'd be in," Sakura admitted. "So I bought a few."

She placed her plate on the counter and found the HMV bag. She pulled out three DVD's and held them up. "I bought _PS – I Love You_, _Mr and Mrs Smith_, and _Daredevil._"

"Hmm," Syaoran mused. "The first one is a chick flick romance, isn't it?" Sakura nodded and he continued, "And _Daredevil_ is action...I've seen it before and it's great. Goes extremely well with the comics by Marvel. And _Mr and Mrs Smith_ is a mix between action and romance, correct?"

Sakura nodded, "Yep. So which one are you in the mood for?"

"Honestly?" Syaoran asked with a smug smile. He waited for her nod and smiled seductively, "_PS – I Love You_."

Sakura giggled, "Really? Oh wow, honestly...I bought that for myself for another time. I didn't think you'd want to watch it. It's sappy, from what Tomoyo's told me. You sure you're up to it?"

Syaoran rolled his eyes, "After watching you bawl over _Titanic_, I'm sure I'll be fine."

"Hey!" Sakura gently chided. She watched him smile smugly and put the other two DVDs on the counter. He extended his hand to take the movie, and Sakura happily handed it to him. Then, she gasped and grabbed his hand. "What did you do to your hand?!"

Syaoran looked down at his knuckles and looked away, ashamed. After steaming about his mother's phone call, and realizing that she had said – about forcing him to come to China in hopes that he'd find a 'real' wife – he had became so angry and punched the fridge. Of course, no harm was done to the damn thing – only his hand. Faint bruising was now forming on his knuckles.

Of course, he wasn't going to tell her that.

"Oh, this?" He pulled his hand from her gentle grasp and waved it in the air as if it were nothing. "It was stupid really...I was at the gym later this morning and some idiot teenager dropped a dumbbell on my hand while I was doing some push-ups."

Sakura frowned and reached for his hand again. She held onto it gently, as if he were made of glass, and ran her fingers over the bruise. She didn't miss his wince. "Did you put some ice of it?"

"Of course," he lied. No, if fact, he hadn't. He cursed at the damn fridge and stormed off to cool down. He jogged around the block, came back, and sat on the couch – where Sakura had found him when she came home.

Sakura brought the hand up to her lips and gently kiss it, not liking seeing him hurt. "Are you alright at least? Does it hut?"

"It's fine, really," he lied again. He pulled his hand back and grabbed the movie. He smiled at her and swooped down for one last kiss. "Now let's go watch a movie, alright? And then maybe we can make sundaes with that ice-cream you brought home. We still have some whipped cream from the pie last week, and bananas from our last grocery trip."

Sakura smiled again and grabbed her plate. She followed Syaoran out to the living room, waited for him to put the movie in, and then joined him on the couch beside him. She sat as close as possible to him, without making it difficult for him to eat.

Syaoran smiled at her closeness and pressed play.

He didn't plan on telling her about his mother's phone call or her opinion on them.

* * *

**Author's Note:** **T^T Sorry everyone...I had this honestly ready to post on FRIDAY, but fucking fanfic was messed and said there was an error every time I tried to upload the damn file. So ^.- I snuck on quickly this morn before I have to go out. LOL.**

**First of all, I DON'T agree with what Yelan Li said...so please, don't anyone think that. With abortion, I think the embryo/fetus can feel pain at any stage of it's life, though of course they don't understand it. It's not a "thing"...to me (and I'm not trying to start any arguments!!) I think it's a person the first day it's conceived. Of course, there are exceptions to my whole 'no abortion' way of seeing it. Like if it was a rape-baby. Please though...I'm honestly not trying to start any arguments about what's right and wrong in abortion...I'm just stating that whatever I wrote as Yelan is not my own opinion.**

**And finally...WOW!!! WOW WOW WOW!!! If I could hug you all, I think I would!! 15 reviews, everyone! Thank you all SO SO SO SO SO SO SO much! It's the most reviews I've received so far. I can't thank you all enough and I don't know how to express my gratitude other than THANK YOU!**

**Thanks!!**

**XOX, Riva**

_Next Time: Second lamaze class!! And guess who catches Rika's attention ^.-_


	6. Chapter 6

**Her Rising Savior:**

_Chapter Six – Doctor_

* * *

The second time going to the Health Centre for lamaze wasn't nearly as difficult as the first for Sakura.

She woke up in the morning feeling even a little excited. Syaoran and her had fallen asleep on the couch near the end of their movie and had nearly been late for work. They went in for the morning, then rushed home and changed before class. Sakura wore a pair of comfy yoga pants and an American Eagle tee. Syaoran changed into jeans and a worn in tee.

They opened the door to the lamaze class without hesitation this time, and Sakura smiled at realizing that t hey were only the second couple in. Inside the room, early, sat Chiharu and Rika. They were in the spot they were last time, talking quietly to themselves. Sakura happily took the seat beside them, where she had sat before, and Syaoran sat with her.

Rika turned to her and smiled warmly, "How are you feeling?"

Sakura smiled back, really liking the girl. "I'm fine, you?"

Rika giggled softly, "Wanting this pregnancy to end. I'm sick of the cravings and morning sickness."

"Morning sickness?" Sakura grimaced. "You poor thing. Is it really that bad?"

"You don't get it?" Rika asked softly. When Sakura shook her head no, she sighed. "It must be nice. I think it's bad, but according to Chiharu's mother – she's a nurse – I've got a pretty bad case of it. I'm glad you don't get sick though," she smiled kindly, "it's horrible. I wouldn't wish it on anyone. "

Chiharu peered over warily and caught Syaoran's gaze. He smiled politely, but she turned away. He frowned; what was with her?

Rika, on the other hand, seemed very interested in the couple. Her eyes were bright – something Sakura hadn't seen the first day – and warm. "So, if you don't mind me asking, how long have you and...Syaoran, was it?...Been together?"

Sakura blushed slightly and turned to Syaoran. His eyes were glazed over, as if remembering the past. She drew her bottom lip between her teeth, realizing the pain the memories brought to the both of them. Realizing that he wasn't going to help, she turned back to Rika and forced a smile. "Um, quite a while you could say. Syaoran and I met back in fourth grade, when he first moved here, and we began dating when we were thirteen. Umm...we had a...break, you could call it, until a year or so ago."

Rika sighed, "It must be nice. You make a very nice couple."

Sakura blushed crimson, "Th-Thank you. Um, s-so...Any love life for you?"

Chiharu made a small 'tch' sound and Rika gave an uneasy smiled. "Well, as Chiharu told you all last week...I kind of did. I mean, the guy and I were dating..."

Sakura mentally slapped herself, remembering the sharp words from Chiharu the week before. "Crap! I'm sorry, I forgot...That was stupid and careless of me."

"No," Rika smiled, looking at her lap. "It's alright. He said he loved me..."

"It was shit and you know it," Chiharu scolded.

"Language," Rika scolded back, turning to her friend with hurt eyes. "How was I supposed to see it was a lie?"

Chiharu rolled her eyes and went back to pretending she couldn't see them.

"That's...That's horrible," Sakura whispered, horrified. Memories from her past began to stir with Rika's words, as if she had been there. But in truth, she _had_ been there once upon a time.

"Did you bring him to court?" Syaoran spoke up. Sakura continued to look at her lap, her heart beating wildly. Memories began flashing uncontrollably in her mind.

_It was only fifteen minutes into the movie when Sakura felt Natsuo's touch suddenly change..."Get off! Get off me! Natsuo!"..."It was all a game, my dear Sakura. I could never love you. No one could ever love you."..._

Chiharu sneered, giving a small snicker of anger. "No, she didn't. She didn't want to cause trouble."

Rika flushed, "W-Well, I didn't...."

Syaoran frowned, "You should have. If the man impregnated you, at the very least he needs to pay child support..."

"Sakura?" Rika cut him off, catching her shudder involuntary. She saw Sakura tremble again and her eyes mist over. She frowned, "Sakura?"

Syaoran frowned and looked around Sakura to see her face. Immediately, he felt angered and didn't understand why. He could see tears building up in her eyes and the way she tried to push them back. He knew right away something wasn't right. He placed a hand on her shoulder, but she didn't respond.

"_You only have one reason, Sakura...and I'm about to show it to you...."...She began beating his chest with her fists, screaming, but he easily pinned down her hands. "Natsuo! Natsuo, get off of me!"...He gave a cold, heartless chuckle and finally looked up to meet her scared eyes....A cold, heartless chuckle...Her scared eyes...Cold...Heartless...Scared..._

"E-Excuse me!" Sakura shot up and ran out of the room, knocking past Kaho Mizuki as she entered the room.

Kaho looked out toward her and frowned, "Is the poor dear alright?"

Syaoran didn't answer and jumped to his feet to run and catch up to her.. He heard the two girls whispering behind him, but ignored them and kept running.

He found Sakura outside, leaning against the wall. Her breathing was short and raspy, as if she was struggling. She had one arm crossed tightly against her and the other one propped up on it, part of her fist in her mouth as if she were trying to stop herself from screaming. She had a far off glazed look in20her eyes with tears silently running down her cheeks.

Cautiously, Syaoran approached her. He put a hand on each of her arms and noticed she didn't react. He frowned, and began rubbing her arms for warmth; her skin was dead cold.

"Sakura?" He whispered softly, his heart breaking. "Sakura, sweetie? What's wrong?"

She didn't answer. At least, not verbally. She broke down and began sobbing, her hands flying up to her face so she had something to sob into. Syaoran wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to him, then held her closely and began rocking her back and forth slightly.

"Shh," he cooed, rubbing her back. "Shh, sweetheart...What's wrong? What's wrong, Sakura?"

"I-I'm s-s-sorry," she cried into his chest, her body racking with tears. "I-I don't know wh-what's coming o-o-over-er me."

"What's got you upset?" He asked gently. "Hm?"

"G-Guys!" She wailed, crying harder.

Syaoran frowned, confused. And then it all dawned on him; Rika's story. The story of a man claiming his love for her...Impregnating her...And then leaving her. Almost like Sakura's story, minus the pregnancy.

_Fuck! He cursed mentally. Why hadn't he seen this?! And the fact that Rika didn't bring the man to court...And Sakura had never brought Natsuo Hamada to justice either – It was just another similarity._

He held her tighter, and kissed the crown of her head multiple times, trying to calm and soothe her. After a few minutes, her cries calmed down into smaller sniffles. He pulled back his head and moved his soft kisses to her forehead and down her cheeks, kissing each stray tear he could find.

"I love you," he promised her in the most loving, promising, caring voice he could muster. "I love you, I love you."

She sniffled and wrapped her scared arms around him, "I-I'm sorry..."

"Hush," he gently scolded. "Don't be. I know it's something you can't get over overnight. I just didn't know it bothered you this much." He pulled back, keeping his arms around her, and frowned while peering into her eyes. "Why didn't you ever tell me."

"It never bothered me this much before," she whispered, looking away. In fact, for the past almost year it hadn't bothered her at all. So long as she was with Syaoran, she saw it as a horrible story from her past. Something that would never crop up again. She gave a dry laugh, "Th-This is silly...I shouldn't be getting so emotional over something from so long ago."

"Don't," Syaoran growled softly. He kissed her forehead longingly, straying there for a moment. "This is far from silly, Sakura. It's serious. Should you talk to someone? If it bothers you this much – "

"I'm fine," she said quickly, biting her lip. She didn't want to talk to anyone.

Syaoran frowned, searching her eyes. They were red and puffy and still a bit teary, but she seemed stronger since her break down. No more vulnerable. He sighed, knowing he wouldn't be getting anywhere with it. He brushed his lips against her forehead one last time, "Are you alright for class now? Or should we just go home? We've only missed ten or so minutes now."

"No, no," Sakura said quickly. She gently pulled away from his gentle embrace and wiped away the stray tears on her cheeks. She forced a weak smile. "I'm fine. Really."

Syaoran frowned, not believing her. After all, one does not break down from something so horrible and gets over it in a snap of a finger. She was obviously still bothered. But for now, he wouldn't argue. He slipped his hand into hers, squeezed, and led her back into the building.

Syaoran creaked open the door and poked his head in. Kaho stood in the front of the now filled room with a man in his mid-thirties. All eyes turned to him, waiting for him to make a move.

He mumbled an apology to Kaho and slipped into the room, holding onto Sakura's hand and leading her. They took their seat by Rika and Chiharu and waited.

"As I was saying," Kaho continued, not minding the interruption. "This is Dr. Terada. He's one of the four doctors here and at the hospital that specialize in births and pediatrics. I've asked him to come here today to take some questions or concerns you may have." She turned to the doctor and smiled, "It's all yours, Doctor."

The man, with short, neat brown hair and dark eyes, smiled with a nod to Kaho. "Thank you, Miss Mizuki."

Dr. Terada turned to the group and smiled b rightly. "I was going to go through the different birthing methods available to you all and your options while preparing for the birth. There is, of course, at-home births and hospital births. The option is yours, though I suggest to have the birth at the hospital since we can then help if there are any complications. If you decide to go with at home, you'll need a midwife as we don't have home-call doctors here." He paused and smiled to Kaho. "You yourself are a midwife, correct?"

Kaho smiled and waved her hand in dismissal, "Yes, but I don't practice it often. I know much better midwives than myself."

Dr. Terada nodded again and turned back to the group of couples. "If you do plan to go with a home birth, speak to Miss Mizuki. I, however, specialize in the hospital and I'll be focusing on that today..."

The man went through procedures and protocols, beginning with checking in and when to know you're in labour. He explained about when the water breaks and that on the odd occasion it doesn't, and if that is to happen how to know you're still in labour. He spoke about natural birth as well as cesarean. He explained the pain medication they could give for painful births and contractions called epidural. He also informed them that after the birth, the mother's job wasn't done; she then had to push out the placenta, but after the birth it seems like nothing at all.

When he finished, he smiled to his quiet group and rubbed his hands together. "Any questions?"

The room began buzzing softly as couples asked one another questions. After a bit, four or so hands shot up in the air, some more timidly than others.

"Yes?" The doctor nodded to a red-haired woman in the back. She seemed close to the end of her third trimester.

She smiled timidly at him and gave a nervous laugh. "I-Is there any way one can schedule an appointment to have a c-section?"

The doctor smiled warmly, "Is this your first?" The woman nodded. "And I presume this is because you're scared of the pain during natural childbirth?" Again, she nodded. He smiled reassuringly. "We sometimes do, but it has to be extenuating circumstances. Say if you've had a previous child and had difficulties during natural — like if the child was fairly large, or if the woman herself is small. Or if there were just difficulties that landed them with cesarean, then yes we do. But this is your first, and we'd rather try natural first and see what happens."

The woman must have muttered something, because her husband gave a small snort and wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

Terada smiled and turned to the next questioner.

Sakura turned to Syaoran and bit her lower lip. He had his eyes on the doctor, listening, and turned when he felt her gaze. He frowned at seeing her nervousness.

"What's wrong?" He asked, nearly mouthing t he words so that he didn't interrupt the class.

"That sounds..." she scrunched up her nose, "painful."

Syaoran gave a crooked smile and muffled a laugh, "Well, yeah...I mean, this head the size of a small melon is coming out of a hole the size of a — "

"Gee, thanks," Sakura sneered sarcastically.

He sighed and wrapped an arm around her. He pulled her down to rest against his shoulder and began caressing her arm as they listened to the third question. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to sound insensitive, but, well...It's childbirth. Of course it's going to hurt. But," he smiled down at her, "the end result is totally worth any amount of pain, is it not?"

Sakura tinged pink. A slow, gleeful smile spread across her face. "Yeah, you're right."

"Yes?" Dr. Terada asked, indicating to Rika.

Rika, her face flaming red, tried ignoring her best friend who was giggling into her hand. "Y-Yes, well, umm...I-I was just wondering how exactly a cesarean works? You said it's an operation, but how does it work? What goes on?"

The doctor smiled bright, "Excellent question, Mrs...?"

Rika blushed harder, practically glowing, and looked down to her lap. She began nervously playing with a stray string on her long shirt. "A-Actually, I'm not married. Rika Sasaki."

"Oh," the man said politely, hiding his shock well with his professional attitude. He smiled warmly at her, "Well then, excellent question Miss Sasaki."

He picked up a piece of chalk and turned to the small blackboard behind him.. He quickly sketched a woman's body and turned back to the class. "During this operation, we place a sheet here," he drew a line at about the chest area on the woman, "so that you can't see what's going on. I know that seems scary, but it's for your best interest.

"Next," he turned back to the woman and drew a dotted line along her lower abdomen in a slight ark, like a small happy face. "We make a small incision here, careful not to damage any organs. We have to remove any organs, such as the intestines, so that we can get to your uterus. And after another incision — vertical, so not to damage the uterus walls — we get the baby out."

He turned back to his group of students, seeing half of the women looking sick. He tried to reassure them, "It's a simple procedure. It's not nearly as bad as it sounds, and you don't feel or see anything."

"Don't feel it?!" One woman screeched. "How does that work?!"

Terada smiled politely, keeping professional. "We administer a local anesthetic in your back, between two spine disks. It numbs your lower body so you don't feel anything."

He looked around for any more questions, and when there were no more, he turned to Kaho and smiled. "Well, looks like I'm done here. Unless you want me to cover anything else?"

"Nope," Kaho said happily. "But if we could maybe schedule another time for you to come? Maybe in two weeks?"

Dr. Terada smiled, "I'd be glad to." He turned to the group and smiled, "Good day, everyone."

Sakura noticed that his eyes darted quickly back over to their area, and followed the gaze to find it resting on Rika. She was looking up at him as well, blushing wildly. When it seemed like their gazes locked, she looked away, burning red on her face and the man left.

Sakura smiled and leaned over to Rika, "So what did you think?"

Rika's head snapped to Sakura, her eyes wide. She played innocent, "Wh-What do you mean?"

"Well," Sakura smiled, "I suppose it could mean anything. Whether that helped you at all , or what you thought of the lesson, or..." she winked, "what you thought of the good doctor."

Rika's face felt on fire and she looked away. Chiharu sneered and leaned toward Sakura, angry, "Hey, mind your own business! If she likes the guy that's her own business, not yours. Keep your nose to yourself!"

Sakura blushed, but not from embarrassment. She felt a small bubble of anger pop in her. But Rika beat her to the punch of saying anything. She spun around to face her friend, frowning, "Chiharu, that will do. Sakura is just being kind and friendly. Could you not be so rude, please?"

Chiharu looked at her, her eyes still blazing. Then she stood up and stormed out of the room, every pair of eyes watching her.

Rika sighed and turned to Sakura, "I'm sorry. She's just...Overly protective of me these days. Every since..." she cut herself off and shook her head. "Anyway, she shouldn't be reacting that way toward you. I'm sorry."

"No, no!" Sakura said, feeling guilty about the previous anger. After all, she had Toya to feel over-protective over her. She completely understood. "It's fine, really."

"So..." Rika looked away, as if embarrassed. "Umm, do you think that.....Think that _we_ can be friends?"

Sakura's eyes softened and her body flowed with warmth. She smiled widely, unable to hide her happiness. She leaned over and pulled Rika into a gentle hug, hearing a small gasp from the girl, "Of course!"

"Have a good week!" Kaho waved happily, dismissing the class.

Syaoran jumped up and helped Rika to her feet, earning the slightest blush from her and a smile. He smiled back, but Sakura could tell it was forced. As they left – leaving Rika behind to ask a few things from Kaho – Sakura turned to him and touched his arm lightly.

"What's wrong?" She asked gently. "You seem upset."

"I didn't like that Mihara woman speaking to you like that," he growled. "You did nothing wrong."

"No," Sakura shook her head in disagreement. "That is Rika's business, and I barely know the girl. I get it. She's just looking out for her friend." She paused and looked toward the ground, "Syaoran, she probably feels guilty that she couldn't protect Rika the first time, when that man left her. She's trying to do a better job now. You can understand that, I'm sure."

Syaoran looked away, hating to agree with her. But, unfortunately, he could understand. Because it was the exact emotions he felt when he first learned about Sakura, Hamada and 'Blossom'. He felt guilty, and tried twice as hard as any time before to protect her. Even now he was more protective of her than when they were teens.

Sakura suddenly stopped when they got outside, and Syaoran stopped soon after to look back at her. She seemed confused about something, and when Syaoran followed her gaze he saw Chiharu leaning against a tree beside the parking lot. He felt a protective growl escape him, despite the understandable feelings. Chiharu gave them a weak smile, then beckoned Sakura over to her.

Sakura turned to Syaoran with a smile. "I'll meet you at the car, 'kay?"

"Are you su...?"

"Of course," Sakura cut off. She stood on her tip-toes and brushed her lips against his. "I'll be there soon, now go!"

Syaoran went to the car as Sakura joined Chiharu at the tree. As soon as she was near, Chiharu looked down to the ground and shuffled uncomfortably.

"I...I'm sorry Miss Kinomoto. That was extremely rude of me," Chiharu whispered, ashamed. "You were just being friendly, and I snapped. I'm so, so sorry."

Sakura smiled, "Please don't worry about it. I'm fine. If anything, I completely understand where you're coming from."

"No, please let me apolo – "

"No, don't," Sakura cut her off. She took a deep breath and looked away, suddenly timid. "I...I don't know why I'm telling you this. I usually keep this locked up like a deep, dark secret. And I'm always scared of it getting out. But...But you need to understand that I get where you're coming from...

"I was in a...a similar situation to Rika's before," Sakura told her quietly, hearing her sharp intake of breath. "I was hurt before though, and I ran into the arms of a man who claimed he took a liking to me. He claimed he loved me, and he ended up hurting me." She paused and looked up to see Chiharu's eyes swimming with tears, and quickly found her own vision blurred. "I understand, Chiharu. You're her best friend, and when that man hurt her, you felt guilty that you couldn't protect her. It's only natural for you to want to protect her from everything and everyone now. You don't want to see her hurt again."

"But you won't!" Chiharu exclaimed. "I know you won't hurt her! You're so kind and gentle...B-But I couldn't help it."

Sakura smiled softly, her tears pushed away. "Please forget it. Maybe we can...start over?"

Chiharu smiled bashfully, obviously thrilled but hesitant. "You would want that?"

"Of course!" Sakura extended her hand, "I'm Sakura Kinomoto...But please just call me Sakura."

Chiharu smiled softly and took her hand, "Chiharu."

Sakura smiled widely, "We're going to be great friends, Chiharu. I can tell."

"And for the record," Chiharu whispered, leaning in slightly. She playfully winked, "I'm pretty damn sure Rika's taken a liking to the 'good doctor'."

Sakura giggled, "Oh, I'm pretty sure too. After all, he does have a pretty cute ass."

"Oh, most definitely," Chiharu joined Sakura in her giggles and fun. "But you shouldn't let your fiancé hear you say that."

"It'll be our little secret," Sakura winked.

When Sakura got to the car, she was smiling widely. She would definitely have to thank Tomoyo for signing her up for lamaze.

* * *

**Author's Note: Oh my gosh everyone...Thanks so much for your awesome reviews!! I can't thank you all enough. I love them!! ^.^ 61 reviews in 5 chapters...28 alerts...and nearly 2000 hits!! WOW!! Thank you all so much! **

**ANNND!! (Drum roll, please!!) I am pleased to thank my AWESOME new beta,_ xXShining ShadowXx_****!!! I can't thank this girl enough for catching all my mistakes. I wrote this chapter on two freakin hours of sleep, and so there was A LOT of mistakes -.-'' But she edited it in less than 12hours after I sent it and pulled through even with all the crap throughout the damn thing. So thank her ^.^ Without her editing, it wouldn't be posted so quickly ^.- *hugs* Thanks hun!!! You're the bestest!**

**PLEEEASE review ^.^ I'm hoping maybe kinda aiming to get at least 15 reviews this time? I got 14 last time...so only one more than last ^.- The more I get, the faster I update. **

**XOX, Riva**

_Next Time: We'll be skipping over some time now, and be going to a month before the wedding!! Last preps are made and...What's this at the office??_


	7. Chapter 7

**Her Rising Saviour:**

_Chapter Seven – PARTY!(?)_

* * *

Sakura couldn't keep the smile off her face as she worked at her computer in the office. It was only a month before the wedding, and she felt as if everything was ready. Tomoyo had gotten her dress in, and was currently fixing it up to personalize it for Sakura. The caterer had been picked out, along with all the fine tunings for the event such as flowers and decor. They planned to have the wedding in Tomoyo and Eriol's backyard, as it was cheaper and more romantic – Syaoran's idea.

As for the guest list, Sakura couldn't be happier with it. The list wasn't huge, but it was nice.

"Hello? Excuse me?" A posh-like voice said from the desk, trying to catch Sakura's attention.

Sakura stopped her work and smiled as she looked up. She felt her insides twitch instinctively for some unknown reason to her, but maintained her professional smile. A super model seemed to be standing before her, with platinum blond hair and pouty soft lips. Her bright blue eyes shone in an almost fake-appearance. She wore a large brown coat, hiding what she was wearing, and a large Gucci purse slung over her shoulder.

"Can I help you?" Sakura asked politely.

The woman looked at her nails as if bored and opened her mouth to speak, when a man came bustling in an interrupted her. He had short, spiky black hair and small eyes.

"Ah, Bloom!" The man Sakura recognized as Takashi Yamazaki said with a wide grin. He gave a nod to acknowledge Sakura, but she didn't like the grin he wore. It was something she had seen almost too many time in her past; slimy, disgusting and lustful. She figured the woman was his girlfriend or wife. _Nice_, she thought grimly.

Yamazaki turned to the woman, Bloom, and nudged his head in the direction of the hall. "If you could follow me? We're just getting ready."

"Oh, not a problem," she smiled sweetly, making Sakura want to gag. She just seemed way too fake.

When she was sure the two were out of sight, she placed her mouth in her hand and stifled a laugh. Ah, the poor man was definitely in trouble if he was dating that woman. No wonder he had her make an 'office call'. That thought alone made Sakura giggle softly again before going back to her work.

**b.K.d**

Syaoran sat on the client side of Eriol's desk, his head resting lazily in his palm and his elbow on the chair's armrest. He blew a piece of hair away from in front of his eyes, but it just fell back to it's previous spot. He tried to blow it away again, but the pattern repeated.

At his desk, Eriol was typing away. His eyes went over to Syaoran and saw him and his wisp of stray hair. After a moment, he became irritated and slammed his hands down on the keyboard.

"Why don't you go to your own office?" He asked, fed up. He had been trying to work for the past hour and Syaoran was making it difficult. He hated being short with Syaoran – since he had long forgiven him for everything – but he just could not work well with someone in the room watching him.

"I can't," Syaoran shrugged in a monotone, bored voice. "Yamazaki shoved me out. H e said the boss asked him to take measurements of my office for renovations or some crap like that."

Eriol sighed and gave in. He turned back to the papers on his desk and began to skim them, sorting them into two different piles. He heard Syaoran let out a sigh and cracked a smile. "Well then why not go out to Sakura?"

Syaoran sighed heavily again, frustrated. "I tried, but she reminded me that we have to remain professional and that she has her own work. I don't get it. I mean, honestly, by now the entire building knows that we're going to get married – even if she _does _still have to ward off some of the damn interns – so what's the p oint in trying to remain professional? It's not like we're keeping our relationship a secret." He threw his head back against the chair and looked up to the ceiling, "God!"

Eriol chuckled, "She's trying to be responsible, Syaoran."

"I don't want her to be so damn responsible," he mumbled childishly.

Eriol chuckled again and grabbed the pencil from behind his ear. He quickly scribbled something down on a sheet and tucked it into a folder. "So how nervous is Sakura getting about the whole wedding?"

Syaoran sat back up and laughed lightly. He ran his hand through his hair, messing it up farther. "She seems alright. If anything, she seems really excited. We expanded the guest list last week and invited two girls from our lamaze class and a few people from the office. She felt bad for inviting them on such short notice, but I knew it made her happy. She's always wanted a large wedding, even if she wont say so now."

"Oh?" Eriol raised an eyebrow. "I wasn't aware of that."

"She has," Syaoran smiled at a memory. "She told me when we were eleven. I was walking her home and our homeroom teacher was telling us that she's getting married soon – remember her? – and Sakura smiled and said 'When I grow up, I'm going to have the largest most beautiful wedding in all of Japan!'." He chuckled softly at hearing her young, excited voice. "God, even then I liked her. And I was so damn arrogant about it! I turned away from her and grumbled that I would give her that wedding.. I don't think she heard me because then she began talking about the math homework she didn't get."

Eriol laughed, "Well, that would sound like our Sakura. As clueless as ever."

"Well anyway, I know she wanted a large wedding," Syaoran summed up with a small chuckle. "And though it's still not going to be huge, it **is** going to be beautiful."

"Tomoyo's pumped about decorating the backyard for a wedding," Eriol explained and scoffed jokingly. "Thanks to that idea, she's upset that that's not what we did! Gee, thanks. I only took her and everyone invited to Saint Lucia, huh?"

Syaoran chuckled at his friend's rant, "Oh, my mistake. Next time I'll make sure we get married in an ally way so that it doesn't upset your wife and doesn't compare to your wedding."

"Damn straight you will. Thank you for that understanding, Mr. Li," Eriol sniffed snobbishly before the two broke out into laughter.

Syaoran looked down at his watch and frowned, "Yamazaki said he'd come get me when he was done, but honestly, who the hell takes over an hour to take measurements?"

Eriol sighed and stood at the same time as Syaoran. "Well, I might as well come with you. I need to stretch my legs anyhow."

But what they were met with was not what either expected.

Inside Syaoran's office was nearly half the men from their floor, about twenty or so, standing with a beer in their hands. A table lined with a bright red table cloth was against the wall, filled with bottles of beer and cans of pop. And behind his desk, at his chair, was a woman with bleach blond hair. She wore a seductive smile on her lips, black lace undergarments and a red silk tie Syaoran recognized as his – he kept it in his drawer in case of an emergency. He had once spilt something on his tie right before a court session and had kept one handy since.

She twirled a pen between her thumb and forefinger, her lips seductively around the tip.

Anger rose in Syaoran as he felt his face pale. He spun to Eriol who looked just as pale. Eriol slowly shook his head, "Oh, God, Syaoran...I didn't now. I swear, I didn't know."

Before Syaoran could make any sort of escape, Yamazaki was at his side. He slung an arm around his shoulder and wore a crooked grin, "So what'cha think bud? Isn't this a surprise? Now don't worry, I spoke to the big guy and he allowed this."

"Wh-Wh-Wh..." Syaoran began, fuming but unable to find his voice.

"It's a Bachelor Party, of course!" Yamazaki scoffed with a laugh. He began to direct Syaoran over to his desk, ignoring Syaoran's struggle. "Now don't offend the girl, Li. She's from the Kyoto district and has made a special trip out here just for you. And believe me, she's worth it."

The young woman stood up and walked over seductively to Syaoran, swaying her hips. She kept holding onto the pen and swirling it in her mouth while her other hand rested on her hip. A few men moaned at this sight. She stopped and looked Syaoran up and down, then held his gaze and smirked. She threw the pen20toward a potted plant and grabbed onto Syaoran's tie. She pulled him down and traced his face with her finger.

"Wow, so they weren't lying. You **are** cute, handsome," she whispered lowly. She walked backward slowly, pulling Syaoran along by his tie.

"No, you don't understand," Syaoran began to protest, looking back to Eriol for help. Eriol just stood there, dumbfounded. He turned back to the woman. "I can't do this."

"Oh c'mon, sugar," she smirked. She spun him around and pushed him down into the office chair. That earned a few howls from his co-workers. She quickly straddled him and began loosening the tie around his neck. "Every man has to have a proper bachelor's party. It's like a passing of rite. I'm just here to make this rite right."

She began to unbutton his shirt, but his hands found hers and stopped her. They locked gazes and Syaoran's was blazing. "I asked you to stop, please."

"Oh, silly boy," she smirked. Keeping her hands locked in his, she leaned forward and flicked her tongue on the contour of his ear. She brought her voice down into a husky whisper, sounding aroused, "All men give in to Bloom eventually..."

Syaoran's eyes widened in shock as her words echoed in his head. Vaguely, he could hear the men wolf-whistling and egging the two on. And vaguely, he could feel the woman, Bloom, working on his shirt while eating away at his ear.

But all he could hear was Sakura's voice from what seemed like a horrible life time ago; _"Oh, but you're body is telling me you're 'into'20this sort of thing," she purred into his ear. "And all men give into Blossom eventually..." She pulled away and looked Syaoran in he eyes, her eyes dimming even more at seeing the lust beginning to cloud his eyes. "Tell me, do you want me?"_

"Do you want me now?" Bloom moaned into his ear, pressing herself against him.

"_Tell me, do you want me?"_

It was only then that Syaoran realized he could feel everything Bloom had to offer and that she had managed to unbutton his shirt and rid his tie. She moaned against the side of his neck and ran her hands down his arms, feeling his muscles.

And without any warning, Syaoran shoved her off him. She yelped and fell back toward the floor, smacking her head off the handle of a drawer at his desk. She sat on her ass, rubbing the back of her head.

"What the hell?" She asked. She looked up to Syaoran, still rubbing her head, and smirked. She licked her lips, "Oh, I get it. You like it rough, huh sugar?"

Syaoran jumped out of chair as if he had been electrocuted. He made a bee-line for the door, ignoring the woman's mews and Yamazaki's protests.

Then he rushed to the men's bathroom and threw up.

**b.K.d**

"Sakura!"

Sakura looked around at the call of her name to see Eriol rushing from the office-halls and toward her desk. He seemed paler than usual with the look of dread and regret across his face.

Sakura frowned, and for no reason fear gasped her heart. She stood up, but stayed behind the desk. A nervou s frown was drawn across her face. "Eriol, what's wrong?"

"It's Syaoran," Eriol explained, making the fearful hand around Sakura's hand squeeze. "I-I think he's sick."

"Sick?" Sakura asked, confused. "But he was fine this morning."

"Never mind that," Eriol huffed. "He's in the men's bathroom. Just...Just go, please."

She didn't need to be told twice.

Sakura rushed down the hall, ignoring the commotion she could hear emitting from Syaoran's office, and went straight to the men's bathroom. It was a single stall room. She jiggled the door handle, trying to open it, but it was locked.

She rapped her knuckles against the door lightly and heard a sob break out in the bathroom, breaking her heart.

"G-Go away!" Syaoran ordered angrily, his voice trembling.

"Syaoran?" Sakura asked tentatively. She could almost hear him stiffen. "Syaoran, baby, please let me in?"

There was a long pause, and then a heavy sigh from within. She heard the lock click and the door swung open. She was met with a heart breaking yet confusing sight.

There Syaoran stood, his amber eyes strained, red and puffy from crying so hard. His face was pale as if he had just been sick. He didn't cry now, but Sakura knew it was because it didn't want to seem vulnerable. His tie was gone and his shirt was unbuttoned, showing off his heaving chest.

The room stank of puke and when she glanced to the sink, she realized he hadn't even made it the toilet to get sick.

"Oh, Syaoran," she sighed sadly. She heard him sniffle and stepped into the room herself. She closed and locked the door behind her, then backed Syaoran up to the toilet. She put down the seat and sat him down like a child. She grabbed a paper-towel and ran it under some cool water, washing down the bile in the sink as she did so. When she returned to Syaoran, she knelt in front of him and began dabbing at his face.

His eyes were dazed, peering down at her, as if he could see through her. As if her were in a different world.

"What happened?" She asked in a whisper. When he didn't answer, she remained patient. "Syaoran, what's wrong? What happened?"

Syaoran moved his head to meet her gaze. His eyes were brimmed with tears waiting to be shed; tears he was trying to keep locked up. He opened his mouth, but no words came out. He let out a small whimper and shook his head.

Sakura continued to soothe over his face with the damp cloth, wanting nothing more than to take the pain in his eyes away. "Syaoran...Syaoran, baby, I need you to tell me what happened. What's wrong?"

He opened his mouth again when a loud knock came from the door. Sakura saw his eyes shut, pained, and pulled the cloth away. She began to button up his shirt.

"Hey, Li?" A man's voice came from the other side. He sounded like Yamazaki. "Aren't you coming back? Bloom's wondering if she should wait for you or if she can do a dance for the other guys. She'd rather the guest-of-honour have the first chance, but – "

"Fuck off, Yamazaki," Syaoran growled.

Sakura opened her mouth to correct him of his language, but he then gave a low moan and leaned down to rest his head on her shoulder. She wrapped her arms around him and began soothing his back with gentle rubs.

"What the hell is _your _problem?" Yamazaki shot back, but a few moments later his fading footsteps told the two that he had left.

"Can you please tell me what's wrong?" Sakura pled in a whisper, caressing his back lovingly. She turned her head and pressed a gentle kiss to his temple. "Please?"

"Yamazaki decided to throw me a bachelor's party," Syaoran explained quietly. He was grateful that Sakura was so patient with him because it took him another minute to swallow the bile in his throat and continue. "He...He got a hooker to come in. For entertainment, I suppose."

Sakura stiffened, but hopped he didn't notice. "Ah."

"What the fuck is wrong with them?" Syaoran suddenly asked angrily, his voice stung with rage. "That's just sick! Don't they know that most of them have a fucking tragic story to them? That they shouldn't be doing that kind of work? They're humans, god damn it! Not objects!"

"I know, baby, I know," Sakura continued in a soothing tone. "But men don't see a lot of them as humans. They see them as a toy. As something to please themselves with. A quick fix. They don't think about why they work in that line or work."

Syaoran rolled his head over to meet her gaze. Sakura realized that his eyes were puffed out again, and only then did she take notice to the wet spot on her shoulder. His voice came out strained, and she almost couldn't hear him, "I...I'm not like that."

Sakura gave him a small, sad smile, "No, you're not."

He turned his head back to bury his eyes into her shoulder again. "All I could think about was how you looked when I saw you at that bar. Yours eyes were so sad, as if they shone from pure force. All I could hear was your voice. All I could see was the darkness behind your eyes. And...And that girl probably has a similar story, or maybe even worse. How can someone screw that poor girl when something so bad might have happened to her? Something bad enough to put her into prostitution?"

"Shh," Sakura said quietly. "I know, I know. Men are assholes."

Syaoran gave a cold, dry chuckle. "Yeah."

Sakura waited for a moment, listening to his breathing slowly even out. She turned to kiss the side of his head again, "Do you want to go home? I'll tell everyone you're not feeling great."

"No," he sighed and turned his head to face her again. His eyes were wide and pleading. "Do you think we could just stay here for a bit? Just us two? Please, Sakura?"

Sakura smiled and pressed her lips to his cool forehead. She whispered, "Of course."

She pulled away and ignored his confused frown, then stood and reached out for his hands. She pulled him up to stand and then backed away toward the door. On the wall beside the door, she slid down and pulled him down with her. She spread her legs, knees bent, and sat against the wall. She nestled Syaoran between her legs, gently pushing down his head to her chest and wrapped her arms around him.

Syaoran wrapped his arms loosely around her waist and kept his head resting against her soft chest. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, breathing in her comforting scents.

Sakura began dragging her one hand through his hair, her finger nails gently scraping against his scalp while the other snuck under his shirt and began soothing his side. She heard him sigh in comfort and pleasure, and she smiled. She knew how much he liked her playing with his hair. She laid her cheek down against the top of his head and kept dragging her hand through his hair while humming a soothing tune.

"I love you," Syaoran whispered, his voice almost too faint to hear.

Sakura kissed the top of his head, "I love you too."

"I'm sorry," he whispered before his breathing became shallow and he fell into a light sleep.

Sakura had to draw her bottom lip in between her teeth and bite to stop herself from crying – he still hadn't forgiven himself from the crap in her past.

* * *

**Author's Note:**** Thanks to everyone who reviewed ^.^ **

**And ^.- HUGE thanks to _xXShining ShadowXx_ for beta-ing again!! You rock hun! Miss Shadow beta-ed this in less than an HOUR after sending it out!! Round of an applause to her, please and thank you. LOL**

**PLEASE REVIEW!!! **

**XOX, Riva**

_Next Time...._ _OMGOMGOMG!! The day before the wedding has COME! Will the nerves get to Sakura? Who's showing up? Is Tomoyo going to turn into MaidOfHonour-zilla?!?! _


	8. Chapter 8

_*****SEE BOTTOM FOR IMPROTANT MESSAGES AFTER*****_

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**Her Rising Saviour:**

_Chapter Eight – Pre-Wedding_

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"No, _no_, _**no**_!" Tomoyo screeched to the florist. "Those flowers go in the back! Urg! Do I have to do everything?!"

The florist, a woman in her fifties, mumbled something impolite and began moving the order of white roses and lilies to the back.

Tomoyo sighed and turned to Sakura. Sakura was confused as to whether she wanted to laugh at the girl's reaction, or be horrified. She forced a shaky smile, "Calm down, Tomoyo. It's not even the wedding yet and you're going off your rocker."

"How can you not be nervous?!" Tomoyo screamed. "We have less than twenty-four hours to get this backyard set!"

"Exactly," Sakura smiled bright. "A whole twenty-four hours. That's plenty of time."

Tomoyo groaned, irritated, and stormed toward the backyard. Sakura sighed and followed. There were different crews from different companies setting things up. Three men from Bird-Furniture was setting up rented iron-n'-glass tables and matching chairs. On the chairs were pink and green bows. Another company, a co-company with the floral, was setting up an arc for the ceremony. Flowers and vines were intertwined through the trellis arc-way.

"There'll be a white silk carpet along there," Tomoyo pointed to an invisible isle, heading toward the arc-way and in the middle of rows of white wood fold-out chairs on both sides. "And I'm going to litter it with cherry blossom petals. I've also ordered cherry blossom petals for Hua-Lin, the flowergirl."

"This is..." Sakura's mouth remained gaped open. "This is amazing, Tomoyo. Absolutely amazing."

"Oh, no it's not," Tomoyo turned to her friend, her eyes sparkling. "It won't be absolutely amazing until the bride walks down that isle." Sakura flushed, making Tomoyo giggle. "You'll look gorgeous, Sakura. Believe me."

And she did.

**b.K.d**

Eriol watched Syaoran mop the kitchen floor to his and Tomoyo's house, a tight and thoughtful look spread across his face. He had been like this since Tomoyo had shoved them both into the house and ordered them to clean while she and Sakura prepared the outdoors

After watching this look on Syaoran's face scrunch and unscrunch for what seemed like hours, he sighed and put down the Windex he was using on the kitchen window.

"Just go," Eriol told Syaoran, making him jump. He gave a small grin, "You have something else to do, right? Just go do it. I'll cover your ass."

Syaoran blinked twice, confused, "How did you...?"

Eriol shrugged, "It's written all across your face. Something's on your mind. Now _go_! Before I change my mind."

Syaoran gave a slow grin and nodded. He ran out of the room and grabbed his shoes. "Thanks! I owe you!" He called out as he opened the front door.

"Duh!" Eriol called back as the door closed.

Syaoran raced home and quickly dug through his desk drawers. In no time, he found note-cards bound together in a paperclip. He smiled at them; his finished vows. After finishing them a month before, he had thought they were perfect. But after re-reading them a week before, he found that they were far from what he thought was perfect. When he read them, he felt a hollow pit in his stomach begin to grow. As if something was missing from them. And that though ate away at him for th e remaining of the week. Only this morning did he realize why he felt this way, but had had to hurry to the Hiiragizawa household to help prepare it for the wedding.

The thoughts of the new vows circled Syaoran's mind as he drove downtown to a small cafe/bakery. He parked close to it and hurried inside. After ordering a coffee and slice of chocolate-raspberry torte, he took a small table in the corner by the window and pulled out the cards and a pen.

He took a sip of coffee, then began to write.

_How do I start? There is so much to say, but it would take hours. Days. And unfortunately, I only have minutes..._

**b.K.d**

As soon as she got home, Sakura collapsed to the bed and sighed heavily. Her eyelids drooped close, the darkness comforting her as sleep began to slowly take over.

It was nearing nine o'clock. She had been working non-stop with Tomoyo trying to get the outside ready, as well as making sure everything was set up for Tomoyo to get her ready tomorrow. It was all very tiring, she wanted nothing more than to crawl into bed and sleep for the past three hours now.

Somewhere in the back of her mind, she heard the door open in the distance and shortly after someone creep into the room. One should panic under such a situation, but she recognized and welcomed the presence. Though her eyes refused to open, wanting to remain closed so sleep could come to her. She heard the rustle of clothes being changed, and then the bed sank with a weight. Warm, strong arms encircled her and pulled her side into the warmth.

Sakura smiled, letting him know that she was indeed awake. He caught this and began trailing small, light kisses along her hairline. "Rough day?"

Sakura groaned tiredly, "You have no idea. Tomoyo's a maniac right now."

"Hmm..." Syaoran mused aloud. "So instead of a Bridezilla, we've got a Maid-Of-Honour-zilla on our hands, do we?"

Sakura giggled and willed her eyes to open. She pushed herself up and brushed her lips across Syaoran's. "And how was your day?" She kissed him again, "I've missed you all day."

He smirked, remembering his trip to the cafe/bakery to re-write his vows. It had taken much longer than he thought it would, but after many copies and many re-writes, he finally got his thoughts down in a way that made him feel light and complete. There was nothing missing from them.

He moved his hand and began trailing it along her face, caressing her soft skin, "It was busy, but very rewarding and very productive."

"Oh?" Sakura asked brightly, though didn't push it.

"Mm-Hm," Syaoran smiled, pulling down his lips to hers again.

Sakura smiled against his lips and began slowly kissing him back. When he pulled away, she gazed into his eyes for a moment before her stomach began to knot with a familiar feeling of want. Pure want. She turned herself slightly to her side and wrapped her arms around his neck. Before he could protest, she pulled his face down to hers again and pushed her lips to his and hungrily began moving her lips against his. Within seconds, Syaoran began kissing her just as hungrily and the two began gasping and moaning into each other's mouth.

And then suddenly, it was over. Syaoran pulled back, his breath ragged and lustful. He looked down at Sakura with dark eyes, seeing her chest heave in and out, demanding air. He gave a small groan and close d his eyes, then collapsed and rested his head on her shoulder. His head followed her breathing, moving up and down with her chest.

"One more day," he groaned into her skin, reminding both himself and Sakura. "One more day."

"S-Sorry," Sakura apologized, trying to catch her breath. Shame washed throughout her as she began running her hand through his hair. "I'm so sorry. That was...That was completely my fault."

"It's fine."

"No, no it isn't," she scolded herself, then moaned in frustration with herself. "God, and we were doing so well!"

"We both got carried away," he assured her. He turned his head slightly and pressed a soft kiss to her neck. "Just one more day."

There was a small pause as Sakura's eyes fluttered closed again. Then, something clicked with her as she moved her leg slightly from underneath Syaoran. She stopped, ceasing her movements across his scalp. More shame encased her, "You're, um, hard."

Syaoran chuckled lightly, "It'll go away. I just got a little excited."

"Do you want me to take care of it?" Some part of Sakura hoped he would say yes. But, of course...

"No, it'll go away," Syaoran repeated. "Don't worry about it."

"But I _do_," she chewed her bottom lip for a moment, then sighed and brought down her voice into a mumble. "It's not like we'd be having actual sex, anyway."

Again, Syaoran chuckled, "Close enough to it, my dear. And we've been so good at not touching one another..." he paused with a sigh and kissed her neck again. "It's one more day. We can hold out one more day, can't we?"

Sakura sighed, "I suppose so..."

With one last chuckle, Syaoran rolled onto his back and pulled his wife-to-be into his side. He kissed her head goodnight as she rested it onto his chest and quickly fell asleep.

When it was morning, they weren't woken pleasantly as one hoped to be. Instead, they were awaken by a screaming Tomoyo literally pulling Sakura out of the bed.

"The groom can't see the bride before the wedding! It's tradition!" She screeched, not minding if Sakura was decent or not – though thankfully, she had fallen asleep still fully clothed. She had just been too tired to change from her jeans and tee.

With Sakura half awake, Tomoyo kidnapped her for preparations, leaving a very stunned Syaoran behind.

* * *

**Author's Note (please read!!!):** **First of all, I just want to start off my thanking all my awesome reviewers. You are all awesome and this story (the sequel) wouldn't be here without you. Honestly. **

****I also want to take this time to apologize to everyone; readers and reviewers. I've been horribly, incredibly, disgustingly greedy and selfish of asking you all for x-many reviews. I feel horrible and I promise not to do it again. It's disgusting, I know. But I hope you'll all forgive me. It took an awesome reviewer to bring me to that light, and I thank her very much. So I'm sorry, and I hope you all forgive me. If you don't, I understand.****

**Quick thanks to my awesome beta,_ xXShining ShadowXx_ ^.^ You're absolutely awesome hun!! You edit amazingly quick!! Thanks so much!! You know how awesome you are LOL**

**Also, sorry for the shortness of this chapter...It's honestly just a filler I needed. But the next chapter IS going to be longer than usual ^.- So hopefully that'll makes up for this chapter?**

**XOX, Riv****a**

_Next Chapter:__ WEDDING TIME!! What are Syaoran's vows? Is Yelan going to show up? Will jealousy erupt because of a slightly unexpected guest? And what is Rika up to??_

* * *

**_**TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN, PLEASE READ**_**

_**To "unknown" reviewer –**_** I understand why you're so upset about that, and now that I've re-read my work, I completely see where you are coming from. I'll try and fix it within the next few chapters or so. I'm terribly sorry. I promise that the characters will grow, so please forgive me again.**

_**To "kana-chan-chio" reviewer – **_**First of all, I didn't take that as a flame at all. I honestly take criticism to heart and fully use it as much as I can. I won't 'review-whore' anymore, and as above, I feel horrible about it. And as lame and inexcusable as it sounds, I honestly _DON'T_**** trust my work. I'm not trying to sound 'oh, woes with me!', but I grew up with people not giving a crap about my work. People don't give a lot of thought to writers at my school. I would say I wrote something, but no one bothered to look at it. I've grown real insecure. And I begin wondering, 'well, what can I do so people will like it?'. So I've never trusted the quality of my work, I honestly don't. That still doesn't excuse my 'review-whoring', I know, but please...I hope you'll forgive me. It was wrong, I know. I'm sorry. And thank you for telling me how annoying it is. Again, thank you and I'm sorry.  
**


	9. Chapter 9

**DISCLAIMER: **_I do NOT own the song used in this chapter. The song, "Gravity", belongs to the lovely lady Vienna Teng. _

_*****PLEASE!!! I suggest you listen to the song "GRAVITY" by Vienna Teng while reading this chapter. It's a lovely song and sets the mood at points. You can easily find it on YouTube*****_

* * *

**Her Rising Saviour:**

_Chapter nine – Wedding!_

* * *

Sakura stood in front of the full-length mirror in Tomoyo's bedroom. Her face was glowing red as she looked at the image of herself; though she was not vain, she had to admit she did look pretty.

The dress she wore was the one Syaoran had pointed out. It was white – much to Sakura's grimace. She had asked Tomoyo to order it in cream or soft pink, since white meant purity. Though Tomoyo had obviously refused. The straps were thin and plain. The dress's neckline scooped down in a graceful and elegant fashion. The bottom didn't poof out, but instead clung to her every curve as was shown in the photo. The dress reached the ground and felt like silk, though wasn't decorative; plain, but very beautiful.

On her feet she wore one-inch white strappy heels, showing off her French-manicured toes, matching her fingernails that Tomoyo had done. Her hair remained down, but wore a crown of cherry blossom flower twigs carefully entwined together. Attached to that crown was a veil – the veil was crisp and stiff mesh, poofing out slightly.

Tomoyo had also done Sakura's make-up, though made it look natural. Light shades of soft pink for the eyes and some smoky grey eyeliner along with mascara that matched her hair colour. She wore coverup, but it didn't look like it as it wasn't powdery or blotched onto her face. A neutral pink lipstick coated her lips, completed with a soft shine of clear lip-gloss that doubled as a sealer. She wore no blush, as that came natural to her.

"Oh, Sakura, you're gorgeous!" Tomoyo squealed, holding up a video camera. "Syaoran's going to completely swoon!"

Tomoyo herself wore a soft-pink dress – cherry blossom pink, to be exact – that reached just above her knees. It, too, clung to her every curve but was strapless, the bust-line curving around her breasts slightly. She wore a simple silver necklace with a small cherry blossom pendant.

Sakura blushed softly, "I-It's all because of you, Tomoyo. Really."

"Oh nonsense!" Tomoyo scolded softly. She turned off the camera and placed it into it's bag. She would continue taping after the ceremony. During the ceremony, she would have her m other recording it. She handed Sakura a small bouquet of white lilies and roses, and gently patted her back in a calming way. "Stop stressing. What's to stress over?"

"Everything," Sakura moaned slightly.

Tomoyo rolled her eyes, then began pushing Sakura gently toward the door. Downstairs, by the back door – covered by a curtain, seeing as it was a sliding-glass door, so no one could see in – was the rest of the bridal half of the wedding party.

Femei's three year old children stood nervously, talking to each other quietly and shifting from foot to foot. The girl, Hua-Lin, wore a clean white dress that went to her knees. It poofed out slightly, but in a cute and childish way, and had a pretty cherry blossom-pink ribbon around the waist. She held a white basket filled with cherry blossom petals and tucked behind her ear was a small twig of the delicate cherry blossom flowers. The boy, He-Ping, wore a crisp black suit and white shirt. His small tie was Everest green and he he held a white pillow that held the two rings.

Sakura and Tomoyo smiled to the little children, who smiled nervously back.

By the door stood Fujitaka, wearing an larger version of He-Ping's suit. He smiled brightly and warmly to his daughter, pride shining in his eyes. He held out his hand, of which Sakura rushed to and took. He squeezed her hand, trying to comfort and reassure her. He took in her beauty and sighed, "Oh, Sakura...you're beautiful. You remind me so much of your mother on her big day."

Sakura blushed again, "Thank you, dad."

Fujitaka smiled and leaned in. Careful not to mess up Tomoyo's hard work, he lightly kissed her cheek. "Syaoran is a lucky man."

"And I'm a lucky woman for having him," Sakura smiled, her words genuine in her heart.

Tomoyo looked down at the silver watch on her wrist and tapped it for emphasis. "Alright, show time everyone."

Fujitaka turned to his daughter and flipped part of her veil so it covered her face. As the veil fell across her face, Sakura felt her stomach flip. Lastly, her father hooked his arm in hers and soft music began to play.

**b.K.d**

Syaoran stood under the floral-decorated arch way, clenching and unclenching his hands nervously. He wore a black suit and white shirt, along with an Everest green tie. Under Sakura's request, his hair was in it's normal disarray style. His starling amber eyes were glued onto the glass door down the isle way, waiting for her to appear.

The chairs were already filled up with their guests. Toya sat to the right of the isle and in the front, with an empty chair beside him for Fujitaka. On his other side sat Sonomi Daidouji, Tomoyo's mother and Sakura's aunt. Behind them sat Rika and her date, and Chiharu, along with another guy Syaoran didn't recognize. On the other side of the isle sat his family; his mother – Yelan Li – and four sisters – Femei, Fuutie, Sheifa and Fanran. Femei was the only with children, and they were in the wedding. In the next row sat Mei Ling – much to Syaoran's grimace. He hadn't invited her. – and Feimei's husband. Also sitting in that row was Takashi Yamazaki from the law firm; him and Syaoran had become close friends, despite the Bloom fiasco. They had been getting close since before then and after a day or so, Yamazaki had apologized over and over.

A sudden sting in Syaoran's hand indicated someone had slapped them. He winced and looked down to see Eriol's hand near his, and looked up to his friend with a frown.

"Stop tensing," he instructed, though not harshly. "And calm down. There's no need to be so nervous."

"Of course there is!" Syaoran hissed, the nerves definitely getting to him. "There's plenty to be ner – "

Suddenly, the soft piano music of their hired pianist, Naoko Yanagisawa, began to fill the air. Syaoran immediately stopped and his head snapped up to face the back door, his heart hammering away in his chest.

Hua-Lin walked out first. She looked down, her eyebrows furrowed as she did her job. There was a soft squeal from the four Li sisters, but Syaoran ignored it. The little girl tossed the delicate flower petals to either side, her little white paten shoes nearly tripping her once. Right behind her was her brother, He-Ping. He simply looked ahead, his eyes on his sister's head as he made his way to the front. It was obvious he was trying hard not to walk too quickly. Hua-Lin took a stance on the side Sakura would stand, opposite to Syaoran, while He-Ping took his stance beside Eriol on Syaoran's side.

Next came Tomoyo. Her hair flapped beautifully in the light breeze, her eyes looking forward. Syaoran could easily tell she was looking at Eriol, most likely admiring him in his suit as he was admiring her in her dress. A bright smile shone brightly on her face, full of warmth and kindness. Once at the arbor-alter, she took a stopped straight across from Eriol, and would be standing in between Sakura and Hua-Lin.

And then finally, Syaoran saw her. And his breath caught in his throat. He felt his legs become jelly, but had somehow managed to stay up. His eyes glued onto her face as he tried to steady both his heart and his breathing. She was, to put it bluntly, magnificent. Absolutely stunning and beautiful. There was a soft, wonderful blush running across her cheeks as all eyes turned to her.

She stopped a few paces from the alter. Fujitaka turned to her one last time and grinned proudly. He leaned in and brushed a fatherly kiss across her forehead, and then gripped her hand. In both a traditional and significant gesture, he took her hand and placed it into Syaoran's. Syaoran took her hand and gave a gentle squeeze. They met gazes and he smiled reassuringly. Sakura returned the smile as he led her in front of him, then took he r other hand as well. They both turned to the man whom would marry them.

In all honesty, neither Sakura nor Syaoran paid any attention to what the man before them said. They simply stared at each other with huge grins on their faces. It wasn't until the man asked for Syaoran's vows that they seemed to float back to earth.

Eriol handed Syaoran a small stack of note-cards. Syaoran immediately felt his heart begin to race nervously again as he cleared is throat and began to read off his notes.

"How do I start?" He began, and realized his voice was wavering. He cleared his throat and began again, "How do I start? There is so much to say, but it would take hours. Days. And unfortunately, I only have minutes.

"The day I met you, Sakura, was one of the greatest days in my life. Despite my quietness and my seeming arrogance, I truly did like you. I think I fell in love with you the first time I ever laid eyes on you. You were smart, funny, and absolutely adorable. And of course, that cuteness turned into absolute beauty." He watched Sakura blush and grinned, then looked back down and continued. "I can't love another woman like I love you, Sakura Kinomoto. You taught me how to love and have fun. And all those years ago when I left, it tore me apart. And...And I'm sorry."

He saw Sakura open her mouth and shook his head, silently asking her to let him continue and finish without interrupting. "I thought about you every waking moment. I couldn't stand to look at another woman. When I came back...My God, Sakura, I did not regret it in the least. I am so glad that we could find each other and love again. No, glad doesn't even begin to cover it. There just is no word for it. The emotion is too great, too powerful.

"I love you," he emphasized each word carefully. "You're a strong woman, no matter what others think or say. And I want to be able to hold you in my arms and over you and kiss you repetitively for the rest of our long lives. I love you, Sakura Kinomoto. And I have a feeling that this, today, is only the beginning for us."

When it was obvious he was done, 'aww's from his sisters and Tomoyo whispered through the air. Sakura was smiling, adoration shining in her eyes. The look on her face alone made Syaoran's heart swell. He squeezed her hands and returned the smile, hoping the love he held for her shone in his own eyes.

And for Sakura, the emotions danced in his deep coloured eyes vibrantly. She half paid attention to the man beside them speaking before it was her turn for vows. She smiled, having memorized her entire speech.

"My vows aren't long and complicated and filled with gushy love stuff," Sakura admitted. She swore she heard an angry gasp from Syaoran's side of the guests, but she continued anyway. "I wanted to say so much. I wanted to tell you how much I love you. How much I want to be by your side for all eternity, and more. I wanted to tell you so much...And then I realized, that you already knew all this. You, Syaoran Li, already know how much I love you. How much I want to be and stay with you. How much I want to grow old with you and have your children," she looked meaningfully down at her stomach.

Syaoran caught this and smiled. He withdrew one of his hands from her grip and placed it flat on her stomach. There was the smallest of baby bumps developing, but it was so small only the people, such as Sakura and himself, who paid that close attention to her could really tell.

Sakura smiled brightly and placed her now free hand on top of his, keeping it rested on her belly. "You already know all this, and so it would be pointless for me to tell you now. So what am I going to put in my vows? Something more between us...Something more special.

"Syaoran," she paused and made sure to catch his gaze. Her eyes were suddenly soft and sorrowful. "I love you, and because I love you, I want – no, **need** – you to let go of every ounce of guilt you feel toward me. I need us to forget our...past...and move on. I need you to forgive yourself. I've forgiven you...In fact, there was nothing to forgive you for. We were both stupid, and I take all responsibility for my stupid actions. I was stupid and reckless...And I want you to _stop blaming yourself_. Please, as my wedding gift...Please forge t everything and let's move on. Together."

There was five seconds of absolute silence, and then the crowd began to buzz with confusion – What did Sakura mean? No one understood.

Sakura and Syaoran, on the other hand, were staring into each others gaze like there was no tomorrow. His amber eyes liquidated and were now rimming with salty tears, while Sakura was giving a small smile of comfort. Behind her, Sakura could hear Tomoyo sniffling and in front of her, Sakura could see Eriol choking back tears himself.

After a few more minutes of more lines, such as promises from each partner and 'I do's, the most important line came up.

"I now pronounce you husband and wife," the man finally finished. He turned to Syaoran and smiled, congratulating him, "You may now kiss your bride."

Syaoran smiled bright and gently pulled from Sakura's grasp. He lifted her veil and lightly brushed his hand along her cheek. Laying his palm down on her cheek, he leaned forward and brushed his lips with hers twice before deepening it, having to cradle his face in her hands as she grasped the front of his blazer.

When they broke apart, a loud applause was met from the crowd. Sakura tinged pink once more and Syaoran gave a loud laugh. He leaned in and brushed his lips against her forehead, "Congrats, Mrs. Li."

Sakura blushed harder, but smiled through it, "And same to you, Mr. Li."

Syaoran grinned, unable to help it, and swooped down for another powerful kiss. Sakura happily accepted the kiss and joined in, encouraging him. Before it could get too heated though, a squeal interrupted them.

"Ooh!" Rika squealed, her eyes shining. Beside her stood her date, Dr. Yoshiyuki Terada. He also smiled, though not as largely, and held Rika as if helping her stand. His arm cupped beneath hers and grasped her hand lovingly.

Sakura smiled at the two; After much pushing, Rika had spoken to Dr. Terada after his second visit to their lamaze class. And after much awkwardness, Rika had managed to ask the doctor out. And he had, obviously, accepted. They had been going out for weeks now. And Rika, being several, almost eight, months pregnant was large with her baby-grown stomach and yet still beautiful.

Rika squealed again and hugged Sakura with one arm, as Dr. Terada would not let her go. Then she did the same to Syaoran. "Congrats you two! We're so happy for your guys."

They both grinned, but it was Sakura who answered, "Thank you – "

"SAKURAAA!" Toya called, catching Sakura's attention. He didn't look terribly happy, but he waved her over to the small group he stood in which included their father and a man Sakura didn't recognize.

Sakura frowned and turned back to Syaoran. She didn't want to leave his side just yet. The conflict showed on her face and Syaoran gave a soft smile.

"Go on," he encouraged her. "I won't disappear. Besides, it looks like Yamazaki is still trying to figure out how to get music started." He nudged a small table with DJ equipment close to the house.

Sakura smiled and stood on her tip-toes to brush her lips to his. Syaoran smiled against her lips, then watched her hike up her dress slightly to walk easier and make her way to her brother. He smiled at them, memorized by her. She was absolutely gorgeous. He hoped Tomoyo and Sonomi had gotten plenty of photos and videos.

A small cough caught Syaoran's attention. His head snapped back to the couple in front of him and immediately he frowned. Rika was suddenly looking down timidly to the ground, and Dr. Terada had a stern look on his face.

"While Sakura is gone," Dr. Terada began quietly, his voice very serious. "I was hoping to ask something of you."

"Yoshi," Rika mumbled, using her shortened version of his name. "Please, don't worry –

"I _do_ worry," he stopped her quickly, his eyes wide with mixed emotions such as anger and compassion for the girl. He turned back to Syaoran, his eyes blazing. "Rika has informed me on how she became pregnant. She says you know about the man who impregnated her, correct?"

"Yes," Syaoran said cautiously. "The man left her."

"And you're a lawyer?" Dr. Terada asked hopefully. Syaoran nodded and he continued, "Then might I ask you to take on her case?"

"Yoshiyuki," Rika tried to reason again. "It's been months now. Why bother?"

"He hurt you," the man said sadly.

Rika opened her mouth to respond to that, her eyes soft and warm, but Syaoran cut in. "Rika, you can get so much out of that man. He doesn't have to marry you or anything, but you can get money to help raise this child. Probably some hefty child support." Rika looked away and Syaoran turned to the man on her arm, "I'm glad someone has talked her into it. Chiharu and I have tried."

"Oh no," the man smiled slightly. "I kind of forced her. She still doesn't want to." He paused, "So will you take up this case?"

Syaoran frowned, "I honestly would, but I'm off for a bit for Sakura's and my honeymoon. I'd rather her get this case started as soon as possible."

Dr. Terada's face fell, "Oh..."

"But..." Syaoran began and then started to skim the small crowd of people. His eyes stopped on Eriol whom was speaking to Sonomi and Tomoyo. He called him over and introduced him to both Rika and Dr. Terada. They went through the brief summary of Rika's story, and with each small part Eriol's grimace grew.

"That's disgusting," Eriol snarled once the short summary was done.

"Yes," Syaoran agreed. "But will you take Miss Sasaki on as a client?"

"Absolutely," Eriol agreed. He beckoned Tomoyo to bring him a napkin from the foods table, which was currently being set up, and took out a pen from his suit coat pocket. He scribbled down his name and office extension and handed it to Rika. He smiled warmly, "Please call me tomorrow morning. I'll schedule you in straight away and tell my boss that I am willing to take on your case."

Rika smiled timidly and thanked them, then asked Dr. Terada to escort her to a table. Her feet were hurting from the warmth of the late spring weather and the extra weight on her legs. He gladly accepted and steered her toward a table by the food.

Eriol sighed and ran a hand roughly through his tussled hair, "That's just disgusting...How can someone do such a thing?"

Syaoran didn't answer though. Instead, his eyes were glued and narrowed on his brightly blushing bride as she spoke to the man he didn't recognize. The man's hand was on her stomach, a sickly warm grin on his face.

A little green monster roared to life inside him.

**b.K.d**

Sakura hadn't wanted to leave Syaoran's side, but with a small nudge from him she did. She smiled as she went to her brother and father. Her father was beaming and even though Toya wasn't happy about who she married, he was smiling.

Fujitaka swept his daughter into his arms and kissed her forehead, "Congratulations, Sakura. I'm so proud of you, my baby girl."

Sakura tinged pink and hugged her father back. When she pulled away she was taken by surprise by being pulled into an embrace from Toya. She gasped softly at his gesture, but returned it nonetheless.

"Even if you _are_ married," he grumbled, "you'll always be my monster of a baby sister."

Sakura rolled her eyes, "Gee thanks, oh big brother."

Toya chuckled and pulled away, then patted her belly playfully. "Poor kid...Doomed before birth. Not only a monster, but a brat too. A 'braster'!"

Sakura scowled, "You jerk! That sounds like 'bastard', Toya."

"Hmm..." Toya mused, his eyes mischievous. "a 'monrat'?"

Sakura narrowed her eyes, then kicked him in the shin. His eyes widened, not expecting that. Her heels were small of the shoes, but the killed nonetheless. He cursed quietly under his breath.

The mysterious man standing with them gave a small laugh, "I never took you for a mean brother, Toya."

Sakura frowned and turned her head toward the voice. She definitely didn't recognize the man before her. He was tall, but not as tall as Toya. More so between Syaoran and Toya's height, maybe close to Fujitaka's. He had natural grey – he wasn't old. Probably Toya's age – hair and large eyes behind thin glasses. He was handsome, definitely, but in a cute way.

The man gave a large smile to Sakura, his face warm and welcoming. He reached out for her hand and brought it up to his lips to gently kiss the back of her hand. She took a sharp intake of breath, her eyes wide with surprise as his lips touched her skin.

"I'm honoured to meet you, Mrs. Sakura Li," he said against her skin, his eyes closed. "My name is Yukito Tsukishiro. Your brother and I are co-founders to the Kino-Tsuki Building Company."

Sakura flushed bright red, her face glowing. Not only from the man's intimate gesture, but also from her lack of knowledge of her brother's career. Sure, she had known he had founded a company that built houses – mostly for the less fortunate in third-world countries. But she hadn't known he had a partner in the business.

The man, Yukito, laid a soft kiss on her hand once more and gently dropped it. He stood back and and smiled brightly, as if missing the bright blush across Sakura's face. "Your brother speaks very highly of you, little Sakura. Oh," he paused and suddenly looked apologetic. "Is it alright for me=2 0to call you Sakura? Or would you prefer Mrs. Li?"

Sakura couldn't drop her blush. She stumbled over her words, "N-No, Mr. Tsukishiro. Sa-Sakura is fine."

Yukito smiled again and shook his head, "Then please call me Yukito, Sakura. It would only be fair."

Sakura gave a weak smile, but her face still felt as though it were burning in hot flames. She then shot a nasty glare to her brother and narrowed her eyes, gritting her teeth together. "So, Toya talks about me, huh?"

"Of course," Yukito smiled, as if noticing nothing wrong. "He adores you, little Sakura. He speaks very highly of his little sister."

Sakura's head snapped back to the smiling, friendly man and she found herself smiling timidly at him. Wow, he was the complete opposite to Toya! How on earth did her brother – her stubborn, rude, narrow-minded brother – end up with the kind, polite and sensitive Yukito Tsukishiro? Sakura found herself wondering if Toya had bribed the man, but realized too quickly that Yukito didn't seem to be the kind of man to take such a bride.

"Congratulations on your wedding, Sakura," Yukito continued. "Mr. Li seems like a very nice man." His smile sank slightly and his eyes became apologetic, "I am terribly sorry for crashing this celebration. I wasn't invited, I know, but Toya convinced me to come. I was just so anxious to meet this sister he won't stop talking about!"

Sakura shook her head roughly, "Oh, no no! No, don't worry about it. The more the merrier, right?"

Toya rolled her eyes with a small 'tch'.

"Yuki, you don't need to woo her," Toya grunted. "The girl's married now and one-hundred and ten percent knocked up with the brat's kid."

"I'm not wooing her," Yukito shook his head, smiling though seeming offended. "I would never do such a thing to a taken woman such as Sakura. I am just being a gentleman, Toya."

"You ought to try it sometime," Sakura grumbled to her brother. When he shot a glare to her, she stuck her tongue out to him childishly.

"As for her being_ 'one-hundred and ten percent knocked up'_," Yukito continued. "How can you say such a thing to little Sakura? Knocked up is such a harsh word for something so beautiful such as pregnancy and motherhood." He smiled to Sakura and reached out a hand to lay on her nearly flat stomach. His eyes grew warmer than before, "Again, congratulations. Being with child is such an amazing gift."

Sakura glowed red again. She opened her mouth to thank him, to agree with him, when a strong arm suddenly wrapped around her waist and gripped her tightly, possessively.

Sakura looked up to see Syaoran standing beside her, his gaze tightly glued onto Yukito. When Yukito smiled at him, letting his hand drop from Sakura's stomach without any shame in his face, Sakura felt Syaoran's hand tighten on her. She almost winced.

Syaoran's eyes narrowed into dangerous slits, "I'm sorry. I haven't seen you before. How are you related to Sakura?"

"I'm Yukito Tsukishiro," the man smiled and held out his hand politely. "I'm Toya's business partner."

Syaoran's eyes were aflame and wouldn't move from Yukito' face. He didn't take Yukito's hand, but the man showed no resentment toward the rude action. "Ah, so you're not related?"

"No," Yukito shook his head, still smiling. "I am simply a close friend to Toya. He speaks of Sakura so much, I figured I'd meet the girl."

Syaoran's nostrils flared. He turned to his new wife, "C'mon...Lets see if Yamazaki has the DJ station up and running yet. He said he could do it, but I'm not hearing any music."

Sakura was shocked at the blazing glare in his eyes. It was angered and possessive and...jealous? She pushed down the gloating smile ready to crack along with the laugh that wanted to escape. She wrapped her arm around his waist and nodded, giving a soft smile. She stood on her tip toes and brushed her lips across his in a reassuring way.

"Let's go then," she whispered against his lips. She felt his chest rumble in a low growl and had to push down another grin.

Syaoran began leading them away from the group and toward Yamazaki's table. Though he wasn't paying any attention to the DJ system they had rented. Hell, he wasn't even at the table alone. But before Syaoran could say anything to Sakura about it, he felt her press up against him. He slowed down his walk and looked down at her, frowning in confusion.

Sakura had a wide, all-knowing smile as she slowed down to match his pace. "Mr. Li," she said in a slightly taunting voice, "If I didn't know better, I'd say you were jealous."

Syaoran's eyes widened, and then narrowed as his blood boiled and his face flamed red. "What...No! No, that's absurd! Ridiculous! Completely wrong and...Ugh, No! Definitely not! How did you come up with that...that....stupidly ridiculous – "

Sakura couldn't compress her laughter anymore. It broke out and she couldn't stop it. She pulled away from Syaoran and clutched her stomach, doubling over in loud laughter. "You are! Oh my God, you _**so**_ are!"

Syaoran turned a brighter shade of red, "I...Well...Shut up! That wasn't it at all!"

"Oh, you are so lying Syaoran," Sakura smirked, trying to control her laughter. If she ruined her make-up this early into the afternoon, Tomoyo would kill her. "You were so jealous."

"I didn't like how he looked at you," he mumbled, still looking away in shame and still blushing like mad. "And he was touching you...A-And you were blushing..."

"Oh Syaoran," Sakura sighed, still smiling. She walked back over to him and wrapped her arms around his neck, making him looked down at her. She smiled warmly to him and pushed herself up against him to kiss the tip of his nose. "I love you. _You_. And I married you, not Yukito Tsukishiro."

"Not fair," he mumbled, sulking. "You didn't meet him before today. You had no choice."

Sakura rolled her eyes, then grabbed his hair roughly. He gasped, but before he could say anything she pressed her lips against his and began moving them quickly and hungrily. His eyes stayed open, wide in shock, and then slowly closed as he joined in. He rested his hands on her hips, and then began to slowly moved them down and rubbed small circles. She moaned into his mouth and pressed against him harder, making him groan back. He grabbed her ass, making her squeal.

Sakura pulled her mouth away from his, needing breath and feeling as though it was getting out of hand. Syaoran was gasping for air as well, but he kept a light hold on her hips. Sakura have an alluring smile and rested her hands safely on his chest.

"Now," she gently scolded, meeting his lust-laden eyes. "I married you, Syaoran Li. That translates to 'I love you'. Not Mr. Tsukishiro...Not that idiot Yamazaki...Not anyone else. No body, and I mean no body, can ever have my heart like you do."

A stupid, shit-eating grin spread across Syaoran's face. He pressed his lips to hers again harshly, but kept his chaste. "I was stupid. I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize," Sakura smirked. She tapped his chest with a finger seductively, "I have to admit...It was pretty hot seeing you so jealous."

Syaoran grinned crookedly, "Oh really?"

"Mm-Hm," Sakura licked her lips and then began trailing light kisses along his jawbone. She spoke slowly against his skin, "Very...Very..." she sighed against his skin, making him tremble and take a sharp breath, "..._Sexy_."

Syaoran growled into her ear, "You're killing me."

Sakura gave a tinkling laugh and pulled away after feeling something hard poking her. She looked him up and down, licked her lips, then met his eyes again and winked. "Fix yourself, hun. I don't want other women staring at your goods...That's for me and me only."

Syaoran tinged pink, making Sakura laugh again. She turned and began walking away toward the DJ table, swaying her hips in the slightest way. Syaoran gave a small groan, then quickly looked around. Making sure no prying eyes were on him, he fixed his pants and jogged to join Sakura.

Chiharu was standing by Yamazaki, her cheeks flushed with the softest shade of pink. She was giggling at something and he was smiling crookedly. They were standing so close together, their hands on the table were touching.

"Oi, Yamazaki," Syaoran spoke up, making the two jump out of their own little world. "Where's the music? You said you could work this system."

Yamazaki was grinning, "Sorry man, my attention was kinda captured by something else." He looked over to Chiharu, who giggled cutely again. "I was just telling this beautiful lady about the giant caterpillars found in England."

Syaoran raised an eyebrow, "Giant caterpillars?"

"Oh yes," Yamzaki said, a glint appearing in his little bead-like eyes. "They're huge. Six feet long. They live in the sewers under London. They have over three-thousand poisonous teeth and have large, glowing yellow eyes. True monsters!"

Chiharu rolled her eyes, "You are so full of it, Takashi."

"Wait," Sakura frowned, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "So there really _isn't_ giant bugs in England?"

The three laughed and Syaoran swung an arm around Sakura's waist. He nudged her cheek, "No, of course not."

Sakura frowned and Chiharu continued to giggle, "Oh Sakura, you're so funny."

After their laughter died down, Syaoran turned to his friend and said in a serious tone, "So, Yamazaki, music?"

"Yeah, yeah," the man said, but didn't move. His eyes were still on Chiharu and the grin was still spread across his face.

Syaoran growled, irritated, "Like, today? Now?"

Yamazaki rolled his eyes and turned back to the DJ board. "Fine, I'm on it."

Within two minutes, light music was filtering the air. Syaoran slipped his hand into his pocket and pulled out a small piece of paper, handing it to Yamazaki. Yamazaki unfolded the paper and nodded, then plugged in a small mike. He tapped it, getting the attention of everyone in the yard.

"Ladies and gentlemen," he began in a professional voice. "The groom would like to request a dance with his new wife. We ask you to join them."

Within seconds, a soft song began to filter through the air. Sakura frowned, not recognizing the tune. Syaoran was grinning though, and he took her hands to lead her to an open space Tomoyo had made for dancing. He pulled her against him and began to slowly dance. He had found the song months ago, having come across it accidentally on the radio. He=2 0had, of course, immediately thought of Sakura and had right away known that they'd dance to it on their wedding day. It was just too perfect; their song.

_Hey love  
Is that the name you're meant to have  
For me to call  
_

_Look love  
They've given up believing  
They've turned aside our stories of the gentle fall_

_But don't you believe them  
Don't you drink their poison too  
These are the scars that words have carved_

_On me_

Sakura's eyes widened as she listened to the lyrics. Her eyes began to water as she looked up to Syaoran. He was gazing down at her with such love, such adoration, she suddenly felt insignificant. As if asking herself how she had managed to get such an amazing guy for a husband.

She hugged him close and rested her head against his chest, closing her eyes and smiling warmly. She hoped he could feel just how much she loved him. She heard him sigh softly, and then his cheek was cradled against the top of her head.

_Hey love  
That's the name we've long held back  
From the core of truth_

_So don't turn away now  
I am turning in revolution  
These are the scars that silence carved_

_On me_

_This the same place  
No, not the same place  
This is the same place, love  
No, not the same place we've been before_

During the last part, Syaoran began so sing softly in her ear, pouring out his love for her.

_Hey, love  
I am a constant satellite  
Of your blazing sun_

_My love  
I obey your law of gravity  
This is the fate you've carved on me_

_The law of gravity_

_This is the fate you've carved on me_

They waited a few moments, staying in their tight embrace, while the notes to the song died down. Then they pulled away, and both were surprised to see tears in one another's eyes. Sakura swallowed the small amount of tears ready to flow, then leaned up and kissed each of his eyelids.

"You truly are my gravity," Syaoran whispered to her, resting his forehead against hers.

"I love you," she whispered softly, almost too soft to hear.

Syaoran grinned and opened his eyes. He lifted up his head from hers and opened his mouth to speak when Sakura's eyes darted behind him and he heard a soft cough. He stiffened and turned around, keeping Sakura in his arms.

Behind him stood Yelan Li and the Mei Ling girl.

Syaoran felt a growl wanting to rise up through him; an invitation had definitely not gone out to Mei Ling.

"Hello, Xiao Lang," Yelan said emotionlessly. She didn't acknowledge Sakura. "That was a very nice ceremony."

"Thank you, Mother," he returned, gritting his teeth. He felt Sakura shift uncomfortably, obviously picking up the tension between them. "I see you've brought Miss Mei Ling with you...May I ask why?"

"There is no need for such hostility, son," Yelan scolded. "Mei Ling missed you."

His already cold eyes turned to the girl beside his mother. She was beautiful, that was surely true. She had long ebony hair and bright red-brown eyes. A true Chinese model. She was attractive...But Syaoran could never be attracted _to _her.

Mei Ling grinned and jumped him, wrapped her arms around Syaoran's neck as she obviously tried to fit herself between him and Sakura. "Oh, Xiao-y-poo! I've missed you so!"

Sakura stiffened. She tired to pull away, but felt Syaoran's grip on her tighten.

Syaoran tried to nudge the girl off of him, but she didn't budge. His teeth ground against each other, "Please remove yourself from me, Mei Ling."

"But I've missed you," she whined. She pulled her head away, pouting, and found his cold glare boring into her own eyes. Her pout worsened, but she loosened her grasp around his neck. She traced his lips with a small finger, "Aww, didn't you miss me?"

"No," Syaoran said firmly. "Now please yet off."

"Xiao Lang!" Yelan scolded again. "Do not speak so rudely."

Syaoran glared at his mother, "Why did you bring her, Mother?"

"She missed yo – "

"I married Sakura, dammit Mother!" He growled. "Just except it."

Sakura frowned up at Syaoran, but the Mei Ling girl's head blocked her view slightly. "What? What's going on?"

Syaoran tried to look down at Sakura, but came across the same vision problem. "My _Mother_ here phoned me a while back, shortly after we sent out the invitations. She wishes me not to marry you."

"Xiao Lang!" Yelan fumed, "That is none of Miss Kinomoto's business."

"_Mrs. Li_ ," Syaoran corrected. "She's my wife. She's a Li." He turned back to Sakura to continue, "Oh, and this is rich...She only wanted me to go back to China for university so I could 'find a suitable wife'. Apparently, Mei Ling here fits her bill."

"Li Xiao Lang!"

"Now," Syaoran snarled coldly, "Get off me, Mei Ling."

Frightened, Mei Ling slunk herself off of Syaoran and backed off closer to Yelan.

Sakura looked from the two women, to Syaoran, and repeated the process. Her eyes were wide with confusion and sorrow as her watery eyes met up with Syaoran's rage-filled face. "Sy-Syaoran...?"

He looked down at her, and immediately his expression softened. He sighed and leaned down to kiss her forehead, lingering there for a second. He closed his eyes, pained, and ignored the two Chinese women standing near them. He spoke softly, lovingly, against her skin. "But none of that is true, Sakura. You are more than 'suitable' to be my wife. No one can tell me whom I can love and whom to marry. You are my wife...You are my life."

"But...But if it causes troubles..." Sakura began, her voice trembling. She looked over to see the two women fuming with anger. She looked back up at Syaoran, seeing his closed eyes. Her heart broke and she reached up to touch his cheek. "I don't want to cause troubles, Syaoran."

"_You. Are. My. __**Life**_," Syaoran repeated firmly to her. He opened his eyes, and amber met jade. "Please don't ever, _ever_, forget that."

When Syaoran looked back over, he saw the backs of Yelan and Mei Ling stor ming away from the backyard through the side gate. Syaoran grinned at this, then held Sakura close once more and began to dance again. He tried to make her forget the entire incident, even though he knew she'd probably bring it up again, eventually.

Sakura danced with many. She danced a few times with her father, twice with Toya, once with Eriol while Syaoran danced with Tomoyo, and once with Yukito. The last, of course, made Syaoran angry but she laughed it off and reminded him how 'absurd' his jealousy was.

The traditional activities were also done. When it came time to cut the cake, they cut the first piece together. They shoved a small chunk of the cake into one another's mouth, and Syaoran swooped in to lick the icing from around her mouth. Toya screamed about that, but Yukito laughed and held him back from doing anything rash to Syaoran.

Syaoran, much to his glee, also got to remove Sakura's garter. She blushed the entire time, as he propped her foot on a chair and pushed up her dress to get to the thin, lacey material. He pulled it down, leaving a trail of soft kisses along her leg. When the garter was off of her, he closed his eyes and brought the warm fabric to his nose, making Sakura blush even harder, and shoved it into his coat pocket. This earned a wolf-whistle from Yamazaki.

And after more dancing, socializing, and speeches – from Eriol as the Best Man, Tomoyo as the Maid-Of-Honour, Fujitaka and, much to Sakura's embarrassment, Toya – the night was nearing and tints of reds and oranges lit the sky.

A white limo pulled up to the house, and the party filled out to the front yard. Yamazaki and Eriol were in the middle of decorating the limo, stupid grins across their faces. The traditional cans were hanging at the end of the car to clang as they drove, and signs such as 'Just Married' and 'Newly Weds' and 'She got hers...Now he gets his' littered the rear and sides of the car.

Sakura frowned and looked up to Syaoran. It suddenly clicked into her that they had never actually discussed their honeymoon. They had never decided what they'd do and where they'd go.

Syaoran grinned down at her, loving the confusion across her face. "Ready?"

"But, where – ?"

She was cut off by his lips, earning whistling and clapping from their guests. He pulled away, another shit-eating grin across his face.

"Trust me," he breathed out.

Sakura frowned, but nodded. She quickly hugged her friends and family good-bye, then Syaoran opened the limo door for her. He took her hand and helped her in, then slid in beside her and closed the door as the driver put the car into gear.

* * *

**Author's Note: Gak!! Sorry -.-'' I know I've posted this fairly late compared to past posts, but I've been EXTREMELY sick and more stressed out than ever in my life over many different things. -.- Sorry for the late update...Have had a lot on my mind.**

**Anywhoo....THANKS FOR THE REVIEWS EVERYONE!!!! I've currently got 100 reviews in 8 chapters...Which, to me, is incredible! I mean, with "His Fallen Angel", I had 51, so basically half! W-O-W!!! *hugs everyone* DOOMO ARIGATOU GOZAIMASU!!!!**

**And quick thanks to _xXShining ShadowX_x...Once again, the awesome girl pulled through with a quick edit for you guys ^.^ She definitely deserves an award!**

**^.- please leave a review...This chapter was LONG! LOL...15 pages (long for me, anyhow). **

**XOX, Riva**

_Next Chapter... Ohlalaa! It's honeymoon time ^.- And that can only mean one thing after three months without sex...But what does Syaoran have planned? Why won't he tell Sakura where they are going? ***LEMON ALERT NEXT CHAPTER***!_


	10. Chapter 10

**Her Rising Saviour:**

_Chapter Ten – Ohlalaa!_

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Syaoran gave Sakura a clothing bag on a hanger, grinning. He leaned over and kissed her cheek, then put up the screen between them and the driver.

"Here," he said, pulling down the zipper to the black bag. He heard Sakura gasp as the material showed itself, "You don't want to go into the terminal wearing that dress. It may get ruined. Tomoyo picked this one out."

Sakura reached out and touched the yellow cotton. It was a pastel yellow colour, with large white tropical leaves.

Syaoran watched her staring in awe at the dress and chuckles, "So are you going to change? We'll be at the airport fairly soon."

Sakura snapped out of her daze and frowned, turning to him. "Airport...? Where are we going?"

"Ah, ah, ah," Syaoran scolded, his eyes dancing. "Just change and let it be a surprise."

Sakura pouted but listened. Though it was awkward in the limo, she slipped off her wedding gown and handed it to Syaoran. After raking his eyes up and down her body hungrily a few times, not nearly getting his fill of her body, Syaoran placed the dress on the hanger and gingerly placed it into the bag the other dress had been in. He then slipped off his blazer and tie, and undid the first two buttons on his white shirt. At least he looked more casual now.

After some more awkwardness, Sakura got on the summer dress and turned her back to Syaoran. "Can you please tie up the strings?"

Syaoran nodded and took the thick neck straps to the halter-style dress and tied it into a knot. His hand accidentally brushed against her skin, and he felt her shudder. He smiled and trailed his fingers down her spine until it reached the seam of the dress at her mid back. Then he shifted forward and wrapped her arms around her waist to pull her against him. He moved her hair and began laying soft kisses along the side of her neck and shoulder.

"Hmm," Sakura hummed, closing her eyes. She smiled and leaned back, her head resting on Syaoran's shoulder. She lifted a hand and latched her hand to the back of his head, weaving her fingers through his hair. She pushed down his head and kissed him roughly.

Syaoran growled into her mouth and pulled away, closing his eyes to calm his body and breathing. A smile broke across his face, "Not patient, are we?"

"No," Sakura growled, keeping her head against him and began running her hand through his hair softly. "Not after having to hold out for so long."

Syaoran chuckled nervously and placed a chaste kiss on her lips. "Believe me, I understand. Not much longer."

No sooner than he said that, the car came to a slow stop and their door was opened. The dr iver announced their arrival to the airport and grabbed their suitcases – packed, of course, by Tomoyo – from the trunk. Syaoran helped Sakura out of the car and took their suitcases from their driver. He got a trolley and took wrapped an arm around Sakura's waist.

**b.K.d**

After assuring Sakura that was safe to go on the plane – just before boarding, she began to panic and worry about the baby. Having anticipated this, Syaoran has spoken to Dr. Terada who told him she was safe since it was technically only the end of her first trimester. It was only unsafe when a women got to her third trimester – they boarded the plane and in no time it had landed.

Sakura got off the plane, frowning. Osaka? Why were they in Osaka?

Syaoran ignored her confusion though and quickly claimed their luggage. Once that was all done, they walked out to the front and was greeted by a rented a black Mercedes. A man wearing a uniform from the car rent service greeted Syaoran after receiving some ID for proof of who he was, then handed Syaoran the car keys. Syaoran put the luggage in the back and opened the door for Sakura, then got in himself and began to drive.

Sakura frowned, slightly pouting, "You're not going to tell me where we're going, are you?"

Syaoran chuckled, "Nope."

Sakura gave a small groan of irritation, making Syaoran chuckle again.

Soon enough, they were pulling up along a gravel road. Sakura looked around to see that they were in the countryside now. But before she could voice her confusion, Syaoran turned off onto a fine gravel driveway. He stopped the car and looked over to see Sakura awing at the small house before them.

It was a cute little cottage-like house, painted crisp white with charcoal black shingles. A beautiful, flourishing garden was out in the front, surrounded by lush green grass. The door was a dark green,

matching the garage door. A small white deck was in the front, complete with a swinging bench.

Sakura snapped out of her daze only when her door opened. She looked over to see Syaoran grinning, offering her his hand. She took it, smiling sheepishly.

"This is ours," Syaoran told her, watching her eyes widen. "I bought it as a getaway spot for us anytime we need it."

"Bought...? You...Oh, Syaoran, n-not that I'm not grateful, but why?" She asked quietly, shocked.

Syaoran's grin didn't falter. "Because I think we need a nice place to getaway from the world once in a while. And when I saw it, I knew it was perfect for us. Here," he took her hand and began leading her back around the house. "Let me show you."

Sakura gasped loudly, clasping her hand over her mouth as tears watered her eyes. In the back was their own private beach. The sand was a sparkling light tan, almost dirty white, and rolling waves of the beautiful ocean lapped its edges. No wonder the air smelt so clean.

Syaoran stood behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. He pulled her close to him and rested his head down on her shoulder with a huge grin across his lips, "Do you like it?"

Sakura turned around in his arms, her eyes swimming with emotions and tears of happiness. Syaoran frowned, confused by her watery eyes, but before he could question it, Sakura's lips were smashed against his. He quickly welcomed her haste and tightened his arms around her while kissing her just as roughly.

Sakura moaned loudly the second their tongues came into contact. She jumped up and wrapped her legs around his waist, grinding her hot core into his pelvis. Syaoran groaned into her mouth and cupped her ass, holding her close as she tugged at his hair.

Sakura pulled away, her breathing heavy and uneven. Syaoran laid hot, urgent kisses along her neck and shoulder. She tightened her hold on his hair, making him moan lightly. "Syaoran...God, Syaoran, l-let's get into the house. Now."

The only response Sakura managed to get was a nod against her skin and another, smaller moan.

As Syaoran turned back to the house, Sakura pushed herself against him more and Syaoran squeezed her ass. Their lips met and each groaned into the other, whimpering for more.

After a bit of fumbling around for the keys in his pocket, Syaoran managed to open the door and trip inside with Sakura. With a turn of a heel after tripping, preventing them from falling, they fell against the hallway's wall with Sakura pinned between the wall and Syaoran.

Sakura rubbed her crotch against the hardening lump in Syaoran's pants, enticing a hiss from him. She latched her hot lips onto his earlobe and began to suck, then pulled away while scraping her teeth against the sensitive skin. He groaned, pressing himself into her, as Sakura repeated the action.

"Bedroom," Syaoran gasped as Sakura gently bit down on his ear.

Sakura didn't even have time to nod before Syaoran whipped them around and rushed down the hall. Sakura held on tightly, still playing with his ear as she kept her legs firmly around his waist. The next thing Sakura knew, her back was pressed against a soft mattress and Syaoran was hovering above her. He began to attack her collarbone with his mouth, leaving quick, wet, open-mouthed kisses along her skin. Sakura whimpered and reached up to unbutton his shirt with trembling fingers.

Syaoran's legs were on either side of Sakura's hips, and when he felt Sakura's hands run along his bare chest, he groaned loudly against her skin and shuddered violently. He sat up, straddling her, and quickly removed his shirt. He balled it up and threw it blindly onto the floor. But before he could turn his attention back to Sakura, she sat up, causing her to brush up against his crotch. He groaned loudly again and grabbed onto her arms, pulling her to him. He pressed his lips to hers hungrily, then let his hands slip to her back. He quickly realized why she had sat up, and unzipped the back of her dress without any hesitation. After untying the halter part of it, she lifted her arms and her lifted the dress over her head. He threw it onto the floor, not caring whether it met his shirt or not.

He groaned loudly at the sight before him. Though he was hoping she had gone bra-less, he couldn't complain. She was wearing a pure white, very lacy strapless bra and matching boy shorts. He reached forward and grasped a breast, squeezing gently yet needingly. Sakura threw her head back a moaned. He was about to squeeze again when Sakura pushed him back. It was a gentle push, but took Syaoran by surprise and he fell onto his back.

Sakura quickly mounted him. She smirked sexily and began rubbing her hands over his chest. She made sure to sit right on his pants-covered cock and pressed down slightly. He hissed and clenched the blankets on either side of him. His reaction only escalated when she lowered he mouth to his chest and began swirling around his nipple with her tongue. She knew how much he liked it. Then she gently bit and Syaoran roared.

"Sakura," he gasped as she moved to his other nipple. "Sakura, baby...baby, we don't need any foreplay. I think we're both more than read – ughn!" He stopped as Sakura bit his other nipple.

"I want to," she growled against him, her hot breath fanning across his saliva-moistened nipple. "Now let me."

She didn't give him a chance to argue and began sliding down his body .. She left a trail of kisses as she went. When she got to his soft treasure trail, she used her tongue to slide along it from the seam of his pants to his bellybutton. She felt his body vibrate with a moan. She continued this as her hands worked on his pants. In a matter of seconds, she his pants undone and was shoving them, along with his silk black boxers, down his legs. Syaoran helped by lifting himself off the bed.

Sakura would never get tired of the sight of him, especially when he was so ready for her. He was so different than the animals in her past. He was gorgeous and a complete turn on. She knew she was already wet, but seeing him so hard and long just created a puddle. She was sopping wet and she knew it.

She quickly grasped him firmly, earning a sharp gasp from him. She pumped him twice, then leaned down and kissed the tip gently, using the tip of her tongue to lap up the salty and sweet precum already there. He gasped again and from the corner of her eye she saw his knuckles turn white from the tight grasp he held on the blankets. That reaction just pressed her forward and Sakura took as much of him as she could into her mouth while using her hand with whatever she couldn't take in.

Syaoran's gasps turned into animalistic grunts, moans and groans. He tried not to buckle into her mouth, but couldn't help it. After their time going without sex, it all suddenly felt so good. He felt as if his body was on fire and he couldn't control it or himself. He grasped Sakura's hair, making her moan around him, sending vibrations down his cock.

"Sakura...Sakura...I'm gonna...Oh, god!" He moaned, trying to warn her.

That made Sakura merely pump her hand harder. She purposely moaned again and heard him cuss loudly. She pulled him out of her mouth a bit so she could swirl her tongue around his bulging tip.

"Fuck!" Syaoran nearly screamed as he thrust his hips toward her face and came, violently spilling his seeds into her mouth. His panting was beyond control as his chest heaved.

Sakura continued to suckle gently, letting him ride out his orgasm. When she had swallowed everything he had to give her – and it was a lot – and she knew he was done, she crawled up his body and straddled him. She wore a huge grin as her hands rested on his chest, her one finger circling a nipple.

Syaoran grinned as well and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her even closer to him. He reached and kissed every inch of her face, murmuring his love to her.

Sakura giggled as she reached her hands for his hair and gently tugged, "So are we done for tonight, Mr. Li?"

Syaoran growled and gently bit her ear, making Sakura yelp. She would have probably jumped off of him, for not the tight hold her had on her.

"Far from it, Mrs. Li," he growled against her neck, making her shiver. He could already feel himself hardening again and quickly flipped them over. He heard her squeal seconds before he crashed his hungry lips to hers and began to devour her mouth. Her hands were still threaded through his hair as she tightened her hold, making him moan into her mouth. His hand came down to squeeze her breast, making her whimper. He pulled away, grinning, "I need to make sure you're ready for me, huh, darling?"

Sakura whimpered at the loss of mouth contact, "No, no...I-I'm wet."

Syaoran's eyes lit up evilly. His voice was husky and heavy with lust as he began kissing her upper chest, ignoring her breasts on purpose. "How wet?"

Sakura closed her eyes and tried to rub her legs together, needing some kind of friction between them, but Syaoran quickly put a leg between hers to stop her. She moaned, "Too wet...Soaking..." she felt Syaoran groan against her skin, his new erection pressing against her side. "Syaoran, please...please...I need you now..."

"As you wish," he kissed her once more, then began to travel south. He parted her legs and felt as if his cock was going to explode from how hard it was now. She had been right; she was soaking wet. Her juices were practically dripping off and creating a puddle in the blanket. He could smell the sweetness of her arousal, and it was only worsening his own.

"No," Sakura said sternly, catching Syaoran off guard. He looked up to meet her blazing eyes. "I can't wait any longer. I need you...I need you in side me, now."

Syaoran groaned loudly, unable to say no to her plea. He quickly crawled above her and settled himself before her entrance. His tip brushed against her sopping wet lips, and he groaned, stopping himself from cumming right there. He scolded himself; he wasn't a teenager! But apparently, the few months without sex had made him desperate.

He closed his eyes, controlling himself – God, he had to have her...and soon! – and then gazed down at her. He leaned down and kissed her gently, murmuring "I love you" against her lips.

"I love you," she murmured back, before throwing her arms around his neck and turning the kiss into a searing battle. Her fingers wound around his hair as she lifted her hips slightly, rubbing her wet southern lips against him. Syaoran groaned and grabbed her hips to stop her, then shoved himself into her in one, swift movement.

Both groaned loudly at the contact, panting for more. Sakura threw her head back, her hands twisting around his hair dangerously tightly. Syaoran leaned his head down onto her shoulder, afraid that if he moved, he'd explode. She was just so warm and wet and tight! He couldn't help it.

After a second of them enjoying the feeling of one another – of being attached together in the most sacred way – Syaoran moved out of her slowly, and then back in. They both groaned against it, this time louder. He slowly set his pace, beginning slow to savour the feeling. But he couldn't keep slow; his body was screaming to speed up. And so he listened to the animal and began pumping harder, faster. Sakura gasped at the new sensation and began to mew, gently clawing at his back.

"Oh, god..." she gasped, her eyes fluttering closed, "I'm so...close...Oh, oh...!"

Syaoran growled; he was close too. But not close enough. He could already feel her walls begin to slowly clench around him. He grasped her hips and in one quick movement had them switched positions, so she was on top and straddling him. She peered down, confused.

Syaoran smirked and held her hips firmly. "Ride me."

Sakura's eyes widened, but she quickly complied. She lowered her full body weight onto him and gasped at the feeling; he was so much farther in her than before. And as she began to move up him, she bit her lip and threw back her head. And he was hitting so many good spots, some of which she hadn't known of.

Syaoran was sweating and grunting as Sakura's tightness sucked him in and out. He began to meet her halfway, his hands probably leaving holes in her hips he held on so tightly. Their animalistic mews and groans and grunts began to synchronize and soon enough, Syaoran felt Sakura's walls clench again.

"Oh," she gasped, desperate for her release. "Oh!"

Syaoran grunted, "Cum with me...please, please Sakura...I need you to – ahh!" He lost all coherent thoughts when he felt her purposely tighten around h im, and that was all he needed. He pushed himself up into her, spilling his seeds inside her while she screamed out his name and began to milk him thoroughly.

Sakura moved slowly above him, still mewing and breathing heavily as she rode out her intense orgasm. When it was too much, her trembling body fell onto Syaoran's sweat-glistening chest. She felt his chin rest against her head, cradling her under his neck, and his arms encircle her. Both were breathing heavily, bodies covered with sweat.

Syaoran began peppering kisses through her hair, running his fingertips down her spine. She felt him rub his arms lovingly, then sigh, her breath fanning out along his skin.

"Mmm..." Sakura moaned sleepily. "That was..."

"...Amazing," Syaoran finished with a large sigh. He grinned, remembering that those were their exact words the first time they ever made love. He was brought back from his memories, however, when he felt her sigh again. He pressed a lingering kiss to the crown of her head, then pulled a blanket from beneath then and draped it across them. "Sleep, my angel...Sleep..."

Within seconds, Sakura's breathing had become even with sleep and Syaoran quickly joined her.

* * *

**Author's Note: I'm sorry for the terribly late update everyone. When they say 'bad things happen in threes'...they mean it. Something came up and I haven't been able to get on the computer until this weekend. I'm terribly sorry.**

**HUGE thanks to _xXShining ShadowXx _for her awesome editing job!! Girl, you are awesome and you know it!! -hugs- And thanks for being there for me...That meant a lot. I'll keep you updated, as promised ^.^ Thanks...I can't express my gratitude to you. -hugs again-**

**PLEASE leave a review...This is only really my second full lemon that I've posted, so I hope it's alright. Besides, I can use a reason to smile...so please???? Please????????? **

**XOX, Riva**

_Next Time... honeymoon isn't over yet!! How does the couple feel after that wild sex? I think I smell another lemon...^.- _


	11. Chapter 11

**Her Rising Saviour:**

_Chapter Eleven – Honeymoon

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_

Sakura woke up wearing a large grin. At first, she didn't even want to open her eyes. But the sunlight was streaming through the window, warming her entire body. Not to mention the body she laid on top of...

Her smiled widened as she snuggled in closer to Syaoran. Her head followed the constant steady rise and fall of his chest as he breathed evenly, still asleep. She bit her lip and slowly turned her head to look up to him, careful not to disturb his sleep.

He was sleeping with a smile, his face looking peaceful. This made her smile even more. She slowly pulled a hand up and began to play with his hair, trying to push back the dark bangs from in front of his eyes. The hair only bounced back into place, making Syaoran's eyes twitch beneath his closed eyelids. Sakura stifled a laugh, but her body's small movement gave her away. A small moan left Syaoran's lips and his eyes slowly opened. He blinked a few times, and Sakura smiled at his drowsiness.

She pushed herself up him and kissed him lightly, "Good morning, handsome."

Syaoran blinked a few more times, trying to rid his sleep, then grinned. He began trailed his fingertips along her spin, "Good morning, beautiful." Then he reached between them and touched her stomach, a dreamy smile across his lips. He whispered, "Good morning, baby..."

Sakura smiled and took his hand, then stretched to kiss him again. This time, she deepened it. Against her thigh, she could feel his morning wood hardening even more. She giggled and pulled back, a twinkle in her eyes, "Ready for round two?"

Syaoran grinned, about to nod, and then suddenly froze. The look of shame washed across his face and he looked away, frowning. Sakura frowned as well, and reached out to touch his cheek, "Syaoran, what's wrong?"

He sighed angrily and closed his eyes, "I am so sorry, Sakura. I was horrible to you last night..."

Sakura raised herself onto her forearms and frowned, confused. "What?"

"When I made all these plans to buy this place and come out, I wanted to make love to you, especially after we waited all that time," Syaoran explained quietly, as if pained and shamed. "After all this time, it was going to be a slow, passionate love making. It was going to be sweet and soft. Instead, I took you like an animal and practically _fucked_ you." He lowered his voice, "I'm sorry."

"Hey," Sakura scolded. She placed a hand on either side of his face and turned so he was facing her again. But his eyes were still downcast. "Hey, look at me," she waited until he did and smiled softly. She brushed her lips against his softly, "I am, by far, not complaining. I was just as much of an 'animal' as you were last night. We were both just too needy. Don't you dare apologize for that." A new light glistened in her eyes and she pressed her lips to his again, "Last night was...amazing...to put it plainly."

A slow, almost timid, smile appeared across Syaoran's face. He held her tighter and kissed her gently but passionately. "How did I get you?"

Sakura giggled, "I could ask you the same thing." She wiggled her hips evilly against his morning erection, earning a small growl from Syaoran. Sakura was instantly ready, "So...round two?"

Syaoran's eyes glazed over with lust as he caught her gaze. Though he knew he wanted to, he shook his head. When she pouted, he smiled and kissed her forehead. "Perhaps breakfast first?"

Sakura pouted and whined, making circles around one of his nipples, "But I can have something to eat in here..."

Syaoran felt himself twitch at her sexual innuendo. He was about to respond when he heard her stomach growl lightly. He felt her stiffen above him, and he chuckled. "Well, apparently, the baby wants to eat now...not later. And I can almost promise you that it'll wantfood, not 'Cock a la Li'."

Sakura grumbled something before lifting herself off of Syaoran. Syaoran grinned, watching her nakedly walk around the bedroom. Their luggage was still in the car, and so she was obviously looking for something to wear. She found his button-down shirt from previous day's events wrinkled on the ground and slipped it on, doing up all but the top three buttons, showing off much of her cleavage. She was going to tease him, she smirked inwardly. She also knew the bottom of the shirt barely covered her ass, and so when she bent over to retrieve Syaoran's boxers, she heard him groan loudly.

She inwardly giggled and tossed him the boxers. "I'm going to start breakfast then, okay? You can go shower..." she suggested, eyeing his large erection.

Syaoran followed her eyes and quickly threw the boxers over it, trying to futilely hide it. She giggled as he jumped out of bed and tugged on his boxers. He went over and placed his hands on her hips, then kissed her forehead gingerly. "I can take care of breakfast. You shower first."

Sakura purposely pressed herself against his pelvis. He instantly tightened his grip on her hips and groaned quietly. Sakura giggled, "Nu-uh...You shower first. I'll go make breakfast. I'm feeling like some eggs this morning...Oh! With chives and cheese and...mmm...I want crumpets! Ohh, I definitely want crumpets this morning. With strawberry red-currant jam! Yummmm!"

Syaoran chuckled, "I got someone to stock the house with food early yesterday, so everything should all be in the kitchen."

With one last kiss, they parted ways. Syaoran rushed outside and quickly grabbed their suitcases, then grabbed a towel from his bag and made his way to the bathroom. Sakura went immediately to the kitchen. She put on an apron she found hanging up, then went hunting for her supplies.

Much to her joy, she found a package of crumpets and placed two in the toaster oven. Then she went to the fridge and grabbed the eggs, old cheddar cheese and milk, deciding on scrambled eggs. In the kitchen window grew fresh herbs, which she grinned at. She always wanted a little herb garden. She cut some fresh chives and quickly added them to her egg mix. Lastly, she found some ham and cut it into ham-steaks to fry up.

She set the table, each plate having eggs, ham and a crumpet, along with fresh fruit – strawberries and green grapes. She made some coffee for Syaoran and grabbed some orange juice for herself. She was just placing the cups onto the table when two hands wrapped around her waist.

"Mmm," Syaoran moaned hungrily, "it smells so good."

Sakura giggled, "Me or the food?"

Syaoran's lips touched her neck, "Both."

"I can't smell that good," Sakura rolled her eyes. "I haven't been able to shower yet. I must stink."

Syaoran ran his nose along her shoulder and inhaled deeply, then sighed. "Nope...You smell perfect. The smell of after-sex...Mmmm..."

Sakura tinged pink and gently pulled away from Syaoran. She could see the crooked grin across his lips and shook her head, then directed him toward his breakfast. While eating, they held hands across the table.

When finished, Syaoran took both of their plates to the kitchen, rinsed them off and placed them into the dishwasher. When he turned, Sakura was there. He smiled and held out his arms to her, which she gladly went into. He kissed the top of her head, "How about we go swimming? The water will be nice and warm. I asked Tomoyo to pack you a bathing suit."

Sakura grinned and agreed, then bounced into the bedroom. She grabbed her suitcase and opened it, then gasped at its contents. She didn't recognize any of the clothes inside. They were all new, that was obvious, and Sakura had half the mind to scold Tomoyo. But the tags said they were from her own company, so Sakura relaxed and riffled through everything. She found a brown peasant-styled skirt and beautiful white, flowy cotton shirt. She laid those out for later, perhaps, and instead grabbed a pair of flip-flops and a bikini. It was white, much to her dismay. She hated white bathing suits; they always showed everything. But she couldn't find any others, so she slipped it on. She grabbed the bathing suit cover she found – a light blue with beading along the neckline – and a towel. She slipped on the flip-flops and met Syaoran in the living room.

He was already changed, so she presumed he had changed in the bathroom. He wore everest green trunks with white flames coming up the side. They sunk low, revealing the defined v-shaped muscle that led to his goods. She bit her lip, hoping she could dispose of them quickly.

"You ready?" Syaoran snapped her out of her thoughts. She nodded, as he wrapped an arm around her waist to lead her through the back sliding-glass door and down toward the beach.

The sand was beautifully white, the sunbeams glistening off it like small shards of glass. The water rolled in and out of the beach slowly, peacefully. And Syaoran was right, Sakura realized as she took a step into the water; the water was nice and warm. Relaxing and refreshing. She sighed at it's wonderful feeling.

Syaoran walked through the calm water and came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist. He pulled himself close to her and sighed as he rested his chin on her shoulder. He began drawing small circles around her stomach, imagining the little miracle growing inside her. He heard Sakura sigh softly, then her hand reached back and began running her fingers through his hair. He closed his eyes in pleasure.

"What do you think it'll be like?" Her voice whispered softly, almost covered by the softly lapping waves.

"What will what be like?" Syaoran asked, not moving an inch.

"Everything," she responded quietly. "The baby...parenthood...everything."

Syaoran smiled and moved his head to kiss the crook of her neck, "It's all going to be amazing. We're going to be the best parents there are for the baby. It, he or she, will be spoiled, but not too spoiled like a rich brat. It'll be polite, but not arrogant. It'll be respectful, but not up-tight. It'll be loved and adored and read to and held. Parenthood will be amazing. Sakura, sweetie, you'll be the perfect mother. So nurturing and caring...you'll be perfect."

Sakura slowly smiled. She leaned her head sideways to rest it against his and laced her fingers through his on her stomach. "And you'll be the perfect, most amazing father." She paused and smiled, her thoughts running away on her. "What do you think it'll look like?"

"Hmm..." Syaoran mused. "Well, if it's a girl...it'll have your eyes and hair. But my brains," he smirked at that. "If it's a boy, my hair...but still your eyes. Again, my brains, but also my good looks." Sakura gently elbowed him and he forged hurt. "No, honestly, no matter what...it's going to be beautiful. I mean, look at us! Of course it's going to be beautiful."

Sakura smiled softly, "I always imagined our baby boy looking just like you. Like a miniature version of you."

Syaoran chuckled, "No, it has to have your eyes. Bottomless green...like a precious jewel. Like the warmest ocean. Like the fresh spring flowers." He sighed, and murmured softly, "You're eyes."

Sakura couldn't help the large smile that played across her lips. But suddenly, she stiffened. Her reaction made Syaoran stiffen and his arms tighten around her protectively on instinct. She sighed and turned around in his arms. She looked up into his eyes and read the worry and confusion there.

Sakura felt her insides twist. She needed to make one last thing clear. "Syaoran..."

He started running his fingertips along her cheek lovingly, his slight frown evidence of his confusion. He murmured softly, "Yes, my lovely wife?"

Sakura resisted the urge to blush and forced herself to hold his gaze. She reached up and grasped his hand, stopping his movements. She saw the small pucker of a frown come onto his lips. "Syaoran, I need to make sure you understood what I said yesterday. I love you, and I _need_ you to stop blaming yourself for the...the _crap_ in my past. I don't blame you...So you shouldn't either. My actions were stupid and reckless. Closing myself off...Running into another's arms...Listening to that jerk...That was all me. Not you. I take full resp – "

Syaoran pulled his hand from her grasp and placed a finger onto her lips to stop her. He looked down into her wide, emotional eyes, and knew his eyes were hurtful and pleading. He slowly pulled his finger away and leaned down to kiss her slowly and passionately. When he pulled away, he looked down at her intensely. "And I love you, but I will only promise you that under one condition."

Sakura frowned, "No, there is no condition. I need you to – "

"Yes, there is," Syaoran cut her off. He watched her mouth open to retaliate, then close as he glared at her softly. "If I am to forget and stop blaming myself...Then you must do the same. We were both at fault, no matter what you say or think. So I want you to stop blaming yourself. I want us both to forget it."

Sakura slowly smiled timidly, "A new beginning?" She asked in a small voice.

Syaoran grinned and kissed her forehead. "A new beginning."

Sakura grinned as well, then placed her hands on the back of his head and pushed his face to hers. He didn't fight her efforts at all, and tightened his arms around her, flushing her up against his strong body. The kiss turned hungry and passionate and needy not two seconds after it began. Sakura grasped his hair, making Syaoran groan into her hot mouth. As soon as his lips parted with that groan, Sakura's tongue dove in and explored. They both groaned at the touch.

Syaoran pulled away, panting like a maniac. He looked down at her, but moaned and had to close his eyes. Her lips were swollen and coloured from their kiss, making him want her even more. He pressed his forehead to hers and loosened his grasp on her.

"I...I can't," he whimpered in a strain. "I can't...won't...take you like this again. I won't do what I did last night."

Sakura seemed to understand. She raised herself to his ear and whispered softly, "Then make love to me, Syaoran."

Syaoran groaned and pulled her onto the beach again, holding her hand. There was still the rush, but he was trying to control himself. And in all honesty, the way she had just spoken, there was almost nothing stopping him from taking her on the beach right there.

He opened the door, had a foot through it, and stopped. He turned to Sakura, an evil glint in his eyes. Before she could question it, however, she found her feet leave the ground. She squealed in surprise as Syaoran hoisted her into his arms, his arms under her shoulder-blades and knees. Afraid of falling, her arms instinctively wrapped around his neck.

"Syaoran!" She squealed, slightly frightened that he'd drop her. "What are y – ?"

His lips brushed against hers softly, making her stop. She could still feel the need flowing through him, but his touch was so tender. It was like he thought she would break with any rough movement.

He brushed his lips against hers again. He whispered softly against her lips, sending shivers down her spine. "I didn't get to carry you over the threshold properly yesterday."

Sakura blushed crimson, but didn't argue. She simply tightened her hold on his neck and he smiled. Their gazes locked and stayed glued to one another as he walked her through the doorway and shut the door with his foot. She didn't even realize they were in the bedroom until he stopped and was slowly lowering her onto the bed, their eyes still locked on one another.

He began by raining kisses along her face, letting his lips flutter across her skin. "Tonight..." he said softly between kisses, "...I will show you..." another few kisses, "...just how much..." another few, "...I..." one kiss, "...love..." and another, "...you."

Sakura sighed softly as she began running her hands slowly along his back. She closed her eyes and enjoyed his soft kisses whispering against her skin.

Slowly, his kisses left her face and began travelling down. Along her jaw, down her neck, across her collarbone, above the top crests of her breasts...

His hands reached behind her neck to untie her bikini top. He carefully tugged it off, and Sakura felt his moan travel through his body. She was laying in the centre of the bed, his legs on either side of her hips. She could feel his arousal grow through his thin board shorts.

He leaned back down and continued his kisses from where he left off. He left a trail down toward her left breast. When he got to its delicate centre, he kissed the soft pink bud there. His hand reached up and began softly caressing the side of her right breast as his lips wrapped around the small pink bead on its twin.

Sakura's back arched toward him, trying to press his lips closer to her chest. Her left nipple was in his mouth as her right breast was being caressed softly. She could feel herself becoming more and more wet as she began trying to rub her legs together. She began gasping and mewing softly, her sounds almost unheard.

Just when Sakura thought she was going to scream, the warmth of his mouth on her was gone and his trail of kisses continued. He left a trail down her stomach toward her centre. When he got to his destination, he slipped his fingers on either side of her bikini bottoms.

"These will have to go," he murmured before slowly pulling them down her legs and casting them aside. He sighed at the sight of her glistening centre, then gently kissed the skin just above her pubic bone. She mewed again.

He crawled above her again and softly, passionately kissed her. It wasn't lustful. It wasn't needy or wanting or hunger-driven. No, this kiss was full of emotion, just not those. It was love and adoration and passion. It told secrets to one another, such as _I love you_ and _I'll always need you _and _Don't ever leave me_. And, of course, since there were secrets, there were answers; _I love you too_ and _Not as much as I'll need you _and _Not even if I could_.

Sakura began tugging at his swimming trunks, and Syaoran got the hint. He stood up and pulled off his trunks, then crawled above her once more. Their kiss continued, the same as before with much of the same secrets and responses.

Sakura began running her fingertips down his treasure-trail and along his length. She felt him shiver under her touch as he groaned into her mouth, encouraging her to continue her ministrations. His fingers began to caress up her leg and encircled her hip bone. Sakura slowly began to spread her legs as if she had no say in her body's reactions. Syaoran felt himself brush up against her wetness and twitched, then moaned.

Sakura ran her palms up along his pelvis toward his hips, grasping him slightly. She pulled away from his kiss and met his blazing eyes. "Please?"

Syaoran couldn't fight it off anymore. He kissed her once more, then dove into her with one thrust.

They both moaned at the contact, feeling one with each other. It was amazing. Nothing could compare to it. Not anything written or spoken. Nothing at all.

He began to move slowly, their eyes locked. He peppered her face with soft kisses again, merely brushing his lips against her skin like a soft feather. "I love you," he'd whisper against her skin. "I love you."

"I love you, too," she'd whisper back, her words coming out more of a strangled moan than whisper. "Forever."

What seemed like forever later, Syaoran felt the intense bubble begin to grow in the bottom of his stomach, knotting its way throughout him. He gave a small groan, his thrusts becoming more frantic and quick, though not rough.

Sakura felt this, and immediately she felt her orgasm building. She grasped his forearms tightly, feeling him go a bit deeper every time.

"Syaoran..." it was between a moan and a whimper.

"I know, sweetie," he grunted.

"I'm gonna..." she didn't get to finish because he caught her lips in a kiss a bit rougher than before, but again, not lustful. It was loving, caring and soft even if a bit more hungry this time. She quickly joined in, both of them moaning into one another's mouth.

Syaoran pulled away just enough to say, "Come with me, Sakura, please...I need you to..." before latching his mouth to hers again.

His final words was all it took. Sakura came, hard, her walls tightening around him. At the slightest movement from her walls, Syaoran felt himself ready and released at the same time Sakura did. Syaoran had to pull away from her mouth and let his head fall onto her shoulder, pressing his lips to her skin every once in a while. He thrust into her twice more as they rode out their orgasm together before he collapsed onto her, both of them heaving and glistening.

Sakura began playing with his hair as he wrapped his arms protectively around her. She pressed her lips to the top of his head in all different places.

"Wow..." she breathed heavily.

Syaoran closed his eyes, caressing her side. "I don't want to move."

Sakura brushed her lips to his temple, "Then don't."

Though he knew he had to, so he moved as little as possible. He removed himself from her – both moaned in annoyance at the loss of contact and oneness – and removed his weight off of her. He laid beside her, pressing himself to her side. He draped an arm across her stomach and rested his head on her chest, letting his head rise and fall with each of her quick breaths. He could hear her heartbeat and smiled at its rapid sound, knowing that he was the reason for it. That he was the only reason for it.

Sakura wrapped her arms around him, letting her fingers rake through his hair slowly and tenderly as she fluttered kisses through his hair again.

They fell asleep like that, listening to one another's unspoken thoughts. They didn't need to speak to let the other know their feelings and thoughts. As if they were having a silent conversation again, like with their kiss from before.

_**I love you. **_Sakura peppered kisses on top of his head.

Syaoran listened to her heart race. _**Always.**_

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**Author's Note: Okay...my deepest apologies for the later than expected update. I wanted to post this earlier but wasn't quite in the mood to write a lemon these past few days (don't know if I'm alone in this, but you have to kind'a be in the mood to write a lemon...) **

**Also, if there are any mistakes...I take full responsibility. But I DO ask you all to put _xXShining ShadowXx_ in your thoughts and prayers tonight as she deals with a worrying time. **

**And lastly...my bad news U.U Due to the hard economic times, the bill for my internet access has been put on hold until my family can catch up on some more important bills. I don't know when I'll be able update next. I'll try for a week or so by bringing the laptop to various friend's houses and cafes, but I can't make any promises. Hopefully this won't last too long.**

**Hope the lemon was good ^.^ Please leave a review!!**

**XOX, Riva

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**_P.S_ - while I'm away, if anyone is looking for good lemons...I'd advise you to go to visit the authors 'EvilClonesRSmexy' ^.- If you like hawt lemons and cute fluff (LOL...but mostly lemons ^.-), then you won't be disappointed in _Play With Me_. The story has one last chapter to go, and then we'll be putting up something new!!! Yaay!**

**Or a shameless plug I have...If you like the angsty SxS fics, I'd suggest 'swallowingtears' ("Mei Ling's) story_ Blossom in a Gilded Cage_. Warning of extremely mature content and fairly dark ideas from Syaoran. But it's an awsome fic!! I adore it.**

**~ "Chiharu", of ECRS**

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Next Chappie... _-sigh- All great things must come to an end, even awesome honeymoons. Depression...And so, our lovely couple is back at work. Eriol is working on Rika's case, and Syaoran's been placed on a new case. And you'll never guess who comes to the office..._


	12. Chapter 12

**Her Rising Saviour:**

_Chapter Twelve – Strength

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Four days after the newly wed couple had arrived to the beautiful cottage getaway, they were on a plane back home to Tokyo in the late evening. Sakura slept most of the way, even though the flight was short, and she screamed when Syaoran tried to carry her out of the plane.

At home, he carried her through the threshold again.

"It's different," he explained in the hall. "That time was for the cottage, for the sake of the honeymoon, but this is home. I have to carry you."

Sakura giggled at his logic, but dropped her bags and let him carry her bridal-style once more. Without waiting to unpacked or truly settled in, Sakura collapsed onto the bed and fell asleep as soon as her head hit the mattress. Syaoran attempted to wake her, and failed, so he gingerly undressed her and tucked her in. He made himself something to eat quickly, then joined her in bed, holding her close for the remaining of the night.

Neither wanted to get out of bed the next morning. They both groaned as the alarm clock went off, and it was Syaoran for once who dragged them out of bed eventually. He threatened to carry Sakura to the shower, which made her jump out of the bed. They showered together – a first since Syaoran's proposal to hold out on sex, since they both knew it would have been far too tempting – and left the bathroom with large grins on their faces. Yep, morning-shower-sex was definitely a good way to start off the day, especially before work after a relaxing honeymoon.

They rushed to get ready – getting out of bed late and their shower was running them late – and got to the office with seconds to spare. They laughed nervously together as they got off the elevator to their floor and realized the time.

Syaoran grinned as they approached her desk. He took her hand and pointed to the gleaming gold coloured nameplate that usually sat on her desk. "Look, sweetheart."

Sakura followed his finger and gasped, a large smiling coming across her lips. Where once sat the nameplate "Sakura Kinomoto" now was a new nameplate, saying "Sakura Li". Somehow, the simple gesture made things that all much more real. She was married...She was _Mrs._ Sakura _Li_. Her insides were warm and fuzzy, no matter how cliché that sounded.

She sat at her desk, still grinning. Syaoran followed her behind her desk, waited until she sat, then leaned down and kissed her, deeply and thoroughly. They broke away slightly breathless, both grinning.

"You should probably go..." Sakura offered, her cheeks flushed from their kiss.

Syaoran raised an eyebrow, "And if I don't want to?"

Sakura opened her mouth to respond when a small, quiet cough alerted them to their surrounded. Syaoran groaned and Sakura giggled, both turning to see Eriol leaning against the desk, a cross between amusement and seriousness on his face.

"Have a good honeymoon, Sakura?" He asked warmly.

Sakura nodded, smiling and bushing down the childish blush wanting to emit across her face as she remembered all the times and places she and Syaoran had had sex. She mentally scolded herself; _You're a married woman and fully grown adult! He knows you have sex, idiot!_

"It was great, thank you," Sakura smiled.

Eriol nodded, then turned to Syaoran. His face suddenly turned serious. "Syaoran, I need to speak to you, please. I know Nakamura wants to see you, but I'd like to talk to you first."

Syaoran frowned, seeing his friend's tense face. He nodded and gave Sakura one last chaste kiss, then followed Eriol into his office. Eriol immediately began to pace.

"We have a bit of a...a, ah, problem," Eriol ran an angry hand through his hair.

Syaoran frowned, "You _are_ taking on Rika's case, right?"

"Of course!" Eriol said quickly. "Her, her boyfriend – Mr. Terada? – and I met two days after the wedding. And that's the problem I needed to discuss with you."

His pacing picked up, "Syaoran, do you know who her boyfriend was? The guy who fathers her baby?"

"No," Syaoran said warily. "We never discussed that. She didn't go into deep details with me."

"Of course not," Eriol let out a long, frustrated breath. "And that's what we need to talk about. We have a serious problem on our hands, and I'm worried that Nakamura is going to place you on the ca – "

"Li!"

Both of their heads whipped toward the doorway.

**b.K.d**

Sakura was working at her desk, the vibrant smile still on her face, despite the large amount of work she had to do. The woman who took her place hadn't known what to do and basically did nothing, leaving Sakura behind in work. She had tons of papers to put into the computer. And yet, she couldn't help but keep grinning. She began working right away, turning her computer on as soon as Syaoran left.

Not long after Syaoran had left, Sakura heard someone clear their throat. She smiled up to the person standing at her desk. "Good afternoon, how may I assist..."

She stopped as all the air from her lungs disappeared and her eyes widened on the man standing before her. He was tall, perhaps a head taller than her with messy dark hair and bright dark eyes. Though he had aged only slightly, with an absence of about five years, it was hard not to recognize him. His image was forever sketched into her mind.

She literally flung herself out of her chair, her eyes wide and crazed as she backed up, her body trembling.

"St-Stay away from me," her voice shook.

The man gave her a confused look, then suddenly his eyes widened with recognition and his eyes glanced to the gold-coloured name plate that sat on top of her desk. His eyes shot back to the scared girl cowering a few feet away from behind the desk, close to the wall.

"Sakura? Sakura Kinomoto?" He asked. When he saw her obvious tremble again, a wicked grin crossed his face. "I haven't seen you in years!"

He took a step toward the side of her desk to get behind the wooden obstacle when Sakura whimpered and pressed herself to the wall. "Stay away from me," her voice still shook. When he took another step, she began to scream, "Stay away from me!"

**b.K.d**

"Li!"

Both of their heads whipped toward the doorway, earning a groan from Eriol. Standing in the doorway was their boss, Kenji Nakamura. He looked at Syaoran with a smile, "May I speak to you? I have a client I wish for you to meet along with his current case. Walk with me?"

Syaoran looked back at Eriol who seemed to be gritting his teeth. Syaoran sighed and nodded, then left to join their boss. He shot Eriol a glance that said 'we'll talk later' and closed the door behind him.

"I know how you and Hirragizawa like to have these competitions with cases," Kenji smirked knowingly at Syaoran. Syaoran chuckled; it was true. Eriol and him usually worked on cases against one another, and it never did anything to ruin their friendship. Kenji continued, "And every one else is full, so seeing as you have only two minor current cases, I figured you could work on the one Hirragizawa is on."

Syaoran stopped and frowned, "The one with Miss Sasaki?"

Kenji smiled, "Ahh, so you know of the case?"

"I directed Miss Sasaki to Eriol, sir," Syaoran explained. "I'm involved. I'm not sure it's a good idea for me to go against her, especially when I don't agree with what the man did to he – "

"Nonsense," Kenji waved his hand in dismiss. "I know you, Li, and you don't let emotions get in the way of a case. You're good at what you do. Just forget any connection with Miss Sasaki and listen to what this man has to say. He's been a loyal client to our company for years – a rich kid though and through – and I expect you to try your damn best."

Syaoran wanted to protest, but didn't. Kenji was right. Syaoran's schedule had been basically cleared for his short honeymoon, left with two small cases. While every one else had their hands tied in cases. Even with Rika and Syaoran's connection, he was the only one available enough to take on a new case.

Still, he brought up one more point. "What about his regular lawyer? If he's a loyal client, didn't he already have an appointed lawyer?"

"Yes, well, Mr. Tanaka retired a few months back," Kenji explained.

Syaoran nodded and sighed heavily as he ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. Though he knew he couldn't exactly say no to his boss, he most certainly wanted to. He hated what Rika's old boyfriend did and couldn't defend his actions. But, his tongue spoke other words. "When do I meet him then?"

Kenji beamed and checked his watch, "Actually, he should be here now – "

"_Stay away from me!_" Sakura's voice screamed.

Syaoran felt his heart stop and panic seize his body. Her voice sounded absolutely frightened and panicked and sickened.

Syaoran left Kenji's side and tore down the hall to the entrance. He skidded to a stop, seeing Sakura backed up against the wall behind her desk. He didn't take in anything else and ran over to her. His arms were thrown around her as he pulled her to his chest, gently shaking her. He could feel her trembling against him, her wide frantic eyes locked on something in front of her desk.

"Sakura? Sakura, sweetie, Sakura, please? What's wrong?" He begged. Her breathing was ragged and panicked, scaring the shit out of Syaoran. He shook her a bit harder, "Sakura?! Answer me, sweetheart, please!"

She trembled harder, "Sy-Sy-Syaoran..."

"What's wrong?" He begged softly in her ear.

"It's...It's him..." her voice shook violently, wavering uncontrollably. She was almost too quiet to hear. She suddenly jumped back a little and Syaoran tightened his grasp on her, holding her closer as she whimpered. "Oh, God, he's back..."

Syaoran frowned and rubbed her back soothingly. He glanced over to see a tall man standing near the space where her desk opened for one to step behind it. He was wearing a business suit, his eyes dancing and locked on Sakura. Syaoran felt his arms tighten protectively around her.

"Ahh," the man chuckled as he glanced to her nameplate again and smirked at Sakura. "I see you're married now, _Blossom_?"

Syaoran felt a growl rock through his chest, "How do you know Sakura?"

The man ignored her, "And this must be the happy hubby? You _sure_ he loves you? Remember what I told you..."

"How do you know – ?!"

"Ah, Li!" Kenji's voice struck through the air. Syaoran's head spun to him as he made his way over to him. He stood by the mysterious man and clapped him on the back. The man chuckled. "I see you've met your new client. Meet Mr. Natsuo Hamada."

Syaoran felt himself pale, "Hamada..? As in...?" He looked down to Sakura who was sobbing into his chest. His heart broke, "God, no..."

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Li," Natsuo smiled sickly. "I'm sure it'll be a pleasure working with you. Please bring Sakura along to take notes." He paused and looked to Kenji with wide, innocent-looking eyes, "Oh, if it's alright with you, of course, Mr. Nakamura. The woman _is_ this floor's secretary, after all."

Kenji smiled and clapped him on the back twice more, "Not at all, Mr. Hamada. I understand."

"I won't," Sakura sobbed. "I can't, I won't...please, Syaoran, don't make me go into an office with him..."

"Hush, sweetheart," Syaoran smoothed. "I'm not going to make them do anything."

Natsuo chuckled, "Aw, how sweet...Taking care of your slut, I see."

Syaoran saw red and would have gone after the guy if not for the tight hold Sakura had on his shirt, holding him in place. He growled, "Shut the hell up, Hamada, and stay the fuck away from her. Don't you dare call her a slut, you fucking asshole."

"Li!" Kenji scolded angrily. "Hold your tongue." He turned to Natsuo. "I am terribly sorry for Mr. Li's rudeness, sir. He won't do it again, I promise."

"No sorry necessary," Natsuo smirked. "It's quite...entertaining."

Syaoran growled again as Sakura sobbed harder and clung to him tighter. He went straight back to comforting her, rubbing soothing circles on her back and whispering soothing words into her ear.

"Li, get that woman under control!" Kenji barked. "Mr. Hamada is a very important client and I am not willing to waste any time on Mrs. Li here."

Syaoran's eyes narrowed angrily on Kenji, but he turned his attention back to Sakura anyway. He bent his neck down to her ear, "Sakura, sweetie, how about I call Tomoyo to take you home? Or at least away from here. The stress can't be good for the baby."

"B-B-But..."

"I'm not taking the chance of yours or the baby's health," he said a bit louder, his voice final. "And I'm not taking this case. I'll explain to Nakamura that I can't take this case."

Sakura nodded against his chest, still crying softly. Syaoran kissed her head gently and reached for her cell that he saw on her desk. He pressed Tomoyo's speed-dial number and put the phone to his ear, still holding Sakura close. He could hear Kenji apologizing for 'Mr. Li's rudeness' once more.

"Hello?" Tomoyo picked up on the third ring. "Sakura?"

Syaoran sighed loudly, "No, it's me. Listen, are you busy?"

"Noo..." Tomoyo's voice sounded apprehensive. "Why? What's wrong?"

"I need you to come and pick Sakura up," Syaoran told her. "I'll explain later but there's been some...unexpected events at the office, and I'm worried about her stress levels right now."

"I'll be there in five." And she hung up.

Syaoran closed the phone and gently tossed it back onto the desk. He kissed the grown of Sakura's head again, "Okay sweetie, Tomoyo's going to be up her in a few minutes. Can you let me go so I can help you get ready?"

Sakura hesitantly let go and cowered back to the wall, her eyes flickering between Syaoran and Natsuo. Syaoran grabbed her purse from under her desk and quickly packed Sakura's phone in it. He lifted her blazer off the back of her chair and helped slip her arms through it.

No sooner than her blazer was on, Tomoyo came bursting through the elevator doors, out of breath. She rushed over to Sakura, ignoring the two men on the opposite side of the desk. She grabbed Sakura's shoulders, "Sakura? Sakura, what's wrong?"

"Just get her out, please," Syaoran begged. "I don't want her being alone. Are you working?"

Tomoyo nodded as she wrapped an arm around Sakura, feeling her small body shake and frowned. "Yes, but don't worry about that. I wouldn't dream of leaving her alone."

"Thank you," Syaoran whispered sincerely as he handed Tomoyo Sakura's purse. He leaned forward and brushed his lips across his wife's forehead, lingering, "I'll deal with this. Don't stress. Nothing is ever, _ever _going to happen to you. Not with me around."

Sakura whimpered and nodded as Tomoyo's arm tightened on her. Syaoran looked up to Tomoyo to see her face ashen, her amethyst eyes wide and glued on Natsuo. He could see the anger and recognition flame up in her eyes as she shot him a look, as if asking_ 'That can't be who I think it is?'_.

Syaoran sighed and nodded once, making Tomoyo inhale sharply. She rubbed her hand firmly up along Sakura's arm and turned her full attention back on her friend once more. "Come on, hun, let's get you out of here."

As they walked away, Syaoran saw Natsuo's eyes follow them, his eyes glued to Sakura's bottom. A low growl escaped Syaoran's throat as his hands tightened on the back of Sakura's chair. When the girls were in the elevator, Natsuo's eyes snapped back to Syaoran with a smug look.

"Maybe I went after the wrong girl," he smirked with a shrug. "Daidouji has gotten quite hot. Nice full rack on that one, along with that firm, tight ass."

Syaoran saw red.

**b.K.d**

Sakura poked at her soft ice-cream with the small pink plastic spoon, not in the mood for eating. Even if it was her favourite flavour. Her stomach churned at the thought of consuming anything.

Tomoyo hadn't touched her frozen yogurt, either. Her eyes were locked on Sakura, watching her through pained and sorrowful eyes. She had brought Sakura to the mall, not wanting to bring her home. She figured Sakura needed to be in a place without isolation.

Finally, Tomoyo sighed and shuffled her chair over to be right beside Sakura. She wrapped a comforting arm around her shoulder and hugged her close. She sighed again, softer, and leaned her head on Sakura's as she began running her fingers through Sakura's silky hair.

"I'm sorry," was all Tomoyo could say.

"Why is he back?" Sakura's small, strained voice asked in almost a whimper. "I thought he moved to America when he graduated! What is he doing here? When did he come back?"

"I don't know," Tomoyo answered honestly. "But we're not going to let him hurt you. Never again."

Sakura closed her eyes to stop herself from crying. "Damn it..._**Damn it! **_Syaoran and I promised each other a new beginning! Forgetting our past and all that crap! And then...And then _he_ show back up...! DAMN. IT!"

"I know, hun," Tomoyo whispered comfortingly. "We won't let him do anything. All of us – Syaoran, Eriol and myself – are going to make sure that he stays far away from yo – "

"No."

Tomoyo was taken back by Sakura's sudden strong, firm tone. She felt Sakura pull away slightly and let her arm drop from around her. Sakura looked her square in the eye, her eyes red and watery from trying to retrain her tears.

"No," Sakura repeated. "I won't let him rule over my life. I won't let him control my life. This is going to change nothing."

"Sakura," Tomoyo shook her head. "You already shut down just seeing him. You can't simply forget what he's done to you. It's not that simple."

"Then I'll make it that simple!" Sakura spat angrily. "I've spent too many years remembering what the asshole did to me! Too many years locked away, believing the crap he told me! Now...when everything is so perfect in my life...I won't let him take that away form me, Tomoyo. I can't!"

"But, Sakura," Tomoyo looked down sadly. "All you had to do was...see him...and you broke down. You flipped out. Maybe you should just go on early maternity leave? That way you can just avoid him."

Sakura shook her head, "It won't happen again. He has to know that I've changed since then. I'm not the same girl. I'm not going to hide. I...I just wasn't ready to see him. His name wasn't in my appointment book, so I presume he had a personal appointment. Next time, I'll be ready."

Tomoyo looked up to her, her eyes watering. Before either could say anything else, she pulled Sakura into a firm, loving embrace. They held each other closely, reaching to each other for support.

"You are strong, Sakura," Tomoyo whispered, biting her lip to stop her lip from trembling in tears. "But please don't do this alone."

Sakura shook her head, "Don't worry. I know I can't."

Tomoyo let out a shaky breath, nodded, and pulled away. She put on a warm smile. "Now, I know something that'll cheer us both up...Shopping!"

Sakura forced out a small smile and followed Tomoyo out of the food court.

**b.K.d**

Syaoran sat in Kenji Nakamura's office, his eyes cold as stone. Beside him, sat Natsuo Hamada, wearing a large stupid grin on his face.

Syaoran was in for a long day as Kenji cleared his throat and began the meeting, filling Syaoran in on the case that Syaoran had no choice on taking – take it, or leave the office.

* * *

**Author's Note: YAAY! Good news!!! I DIDN'T lose the internet -happy dance-!! My sister ended up needing the internet for homework...and even though I did, I knew I could find a way around it but she couldn't. So I helped pay for the bill ^.^ So I'll be able to keep up with updates now ^.- yaay!**

**And on top of that...FAST UPDATE! ^.^ Honestly, this chapter is what started the sequel, where I got the idea for a sequel at all. Sorry to those that hopped their lives would be easier now that the wedding was over.**

**Please review!!!! ^.^ I love all them! Reviews are the best thing a writer can receive ^.- **

**XOX, Riva**

_Next Chapter... How did Syaoran's meeting go with his boss and Natsuo? What happens when he corners the bastard? How will Syaoran handle Sakura's determination when he gets home? Will he try and change her mind?? _


	13. Chapter 13

**Her Rising Saviour:**

_Chapter Thirteen – Talks

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_

Syaoran gritted his teeth through the meeting with Natsuo and Kenji. Kenji wore a large grin the whole time, but his eyes told Syaoran to stay in line. Syaoran simply did not get it. Kenji was someone who he usually got along with. They weren't buds, exactly, but he was a fairly easy going guy. What was so different now?

_Because he's an 'important, loyal' client,_ Syaoran reminded himself in a silent scoff.

Finally, Kenji finished and turned to Syaoran. "Is everything understandable, Mr. Li?"

Syaoran clenched his jaw, but kept a polite tone – at least, as polite as he could. "As far as you've told me...Mr. Hamada here claims Miss Sasaki simply got pregnant to tie herself to him. That she went off childbirth without telling him. And he offered to pay for the child, but Miss Sasaki refused. Am I following so far, sir?"

Kenji smiled, "Very much so. Now," he stood up, and the other two men followed suit, "Li, I think you and Mr. Hamada need to speak in private and sort out a few more things. Why don't you go to your office? You have nothing else on your schedule, right?"

Again, Syaoran gritted his teeth. He wanted to get home to Sakura and make sure she was okay. "Right. But before that, may I please speak to you? In private?"

Kenji's smile sank briefly, but he nodded and gave directions to Natsuo for Syaoran's office. As soon as he was gone, Syaoran faced Kenji.

"Mr. Nakamura, sir," Syaoran tried to remain as polite as possible. "Please, is there any one else that can take this case? There's just too many personal emotions in on this. Not only do I know Miss Sasaki, but my wife and Hamada have a painful past, and I'd rather not have those emotions play on this job. Isn't there any one else? Any one at all?"

"First, it's Mr. Hamada, Li," Kenji corrected lightly. "Second, no, you're the only one. You're more than welcome to quit."

Syaoran gritted his teeth, knowing very well he couldn't.

"Put your wife's past behind this and work as Mr. Hamada's lawyer," Kenji ordered him sternly. "Now, go."

Syaoran gave one last glare before storming out of the room. He wanted to punch something. No, not something – someone. Kenji or Natsuo would do, though the emotion was stronger toward Natsuo. Only slightly, of course.

He was cursing under his breath on his way to his off ice when a hand grabbed his arm roughly and pulled him into a room. The door closed and Syaoran immediately recognized Eriol's office. He turned to see Eriol, the look of rage in his eyes. Syaoran was sure his own eyes matched.

"So, Nakamura put you on the case then?" Eriol asked. All Syaoran had to do was nod, and Eriol's fists tightened angrily. "Damn it! Have you spoken to him?"

"Of course I have!" Syaoran growled, running a shaky hand through his hair. "But he won't listen. He's basically told me to either take the fucking case, or take a hike."

Eriol's eyes narrowed, "That's harassment, Syaoran. Put in a claim. An unfair dismissal will easily..."

Syaoran was shaking his head, cutting Eriol off. "I've already thought of that, but I can't. Eriol, I need this job. I can't put in a claim and risk leaving the office."

"Of course you can," Eriol's voice shook slightly. "I mean, you're Syaoran Li! I'm sure Yelan would help you, if you couldn't get a job – "

"No. No, she won't," Syaoran sighed angrily. "I...I haven't told Sakura yet. Mother's cut me off from any family money. She's not too pleased with my decision to have Sakura instead of someone like Mei Ling."

Eriol's eyes grew angered, filling with flames. "What the fuck has this world come to?!"

Syaoran shrugged, "I know as well as you do, meaning, I don't know. Life is certainly no picnic."

There was a long pause as the two men became lost in their thoughts. Syaoran knew he needed to get back to his office, to speak to the bastard – really, he deserved no other name – but didn't make a move to leave.

Then, as if a sudden turn around, a large grin broke out across Eriol's face. Then, he began to laugh. Syaoran felt anger bubble inside him; laughing at this time?! What the hell?!

But before he could say anything, Eriol spoke up. "Syaoran, do you realize the opportunity Nakamura just brought to us? How easy this case is going to be? Syaoran, we can both so easily win this case!"

Syaoran frowned, "Not sure if I'm following you, Eriol."

"It's too easy !" Eriol chuckled again. "All you have to do is pretend that you're working on his case. But in reality, you're like my own personal mouse. A mouse in with the rat."

"Still not sure if I – "

"Haven't you ever seen the kids movies? Where the mice are the good guys and the rats are the bad?" Eriol asked, losing patience. "Well, he's part of a rat pack, and you're the mouse carefully hidden inside...you' re not really working with the rats. You just look like one. It's so damn easy!"

"Oh," Syaoran's eyes widened._ "Oh!"_

Eriol grinned, "It's brilliant, Syaoran. And Kenji knows that you can't lose this job now. He won't think twice that you'll go against him now with that threat."

Syaoran was still grinning at the idea as he left Eriol's office and travelled to his own. The only thing that sank his smile was opening his office door as seeing the bastard sitting in his chair behind his desk, spinning around aimlessly, his eyes glued on the ceiling above.

He caught sight of Syaoran and stopped spinning, a large grin on his face, "Well, it's about time, Li. You shouldn't've kept me waiting."

Syaoran's jaw tensed. He refused to apologize. That was just too much. He could keep up the act of listening to Natsuo's story and keep his politeness, but he would not apologize. He saw absolutely no reason to.

He walked over to his desk, but Natsuo refused to get up. He sighed angrily and took a seat on the other side, where technically Natsuo should have been sitting. He grabbed a pen and notebook and swallowed the bile in his throat. Shit, he didn't even want to talk to the guy.

"Tell me, in your words, why you think Miss Sasaki – "

"So you married Sakura, huh?" Natsuo cut him off. Syaoran's fingers tensed around the pen he was using, but from the corner of his eye, he saw the guy's smug smile. "Nice piece of ass, that one."

"This is unprofessional," Syaoran ground out angrily. "I would appreciate it if we dropped the subject about Mrs. Li and go back to the case. Now, about – "

"Ahh, good memories with that one. Lots of fantasies about screwing her," Natsuo continued, then shrugged. "Ended up she was just a tease."

"Mr. Hamda, please – " Syaoran growled.

"She was horrible in bed," he finished.

Syaoran slammed his hand on the desk, the pen's plastic cracking. Natsuo didn't even flinch, not even when Syaoran jumped to his feet and leaned over the desk, his angered eyes glued onto Natsuo's. "Listen you fucking bastard, while here, you will not talk about Sakura that way. In fact, you won't talk about her at all. You won't even speak her name. You have no right to, you fucking asshole!"

Natsuo chuckled, "You don't even know the story."

"Like hell I don't!" Syaoran yelled, full of rage. When Natsuo grinned, Syaoran slammed his hand on the desk again. "Fuck you, you bastard! Stay the hell away from her."

"You don't know how much of a tease she was though," Natsuo whined. "Any man in his right mind would bed her for that reason. Her body is just too perfect to pass up." He chuckled coldly, "Shit, Kandi hated Sakura for that. Hated that all the guys wanted her."

"Shut the fuck up, you fucking son of a bi..." he suddenly stopped, his eyes wide as he replayed in his mind what Natsuo had said. "What, Kandi...Kandi as in..?"

Natsuo smirked, "Quite a coincidence that Sakura happened to pick my uncle's bar out of all places to run to. Of course," he sighed dramatically, acting sad, "I never found out until I was out of the country. Kandi just called me up one night, fucking pissed beyond belief about this Blossom bitch who was getting all the guys and money, and of course with her description of the girl, I knew who it was right away. I've never heard my sister so pissed!"

Syaoran had to mentally shake his head to stop the murderous visions running through his mind. "You knew what you did to her? Knew that she ran to that fucking strip club because of _you_?! Bastard!"

"Oh stop with the dramatics," Natsuo said in a bored tone, looking at her nails. "If you knew she worked there, then that must mean you met or saw her there. Are you saying you didn't love her body as soon as you saw it?"

Syaoran didn't answer. He was simply fuming. He was remembering the sad emerald eyes he saw when Eriol had brought him to the club. He was seeing the pair of pained, sad eyes as if he were face to face with them right now. And it was painful. Her beautiful yet sorrowful image pained him incredibly so.

Natsuo, egging him on, only continued. "It's why I came back to Japan. To find her. I mean, even if she didn't do much, she _wasn't _that bad in bed. And from what my uncle said..." he trailed off suggestively, ignoring Syaoran's furious growl. "I came back about a year ago, but it seems someone dragged her out of the building a few weeks before I got there and she hadn't been back since. Anywhoo, I found Rika a few days later. The innocence in her eyes reminded me so much of Sakura. So kind and sweet...But she gave herself to me willingly within the first month." He chuckled, "Stupid girl."

"That _stupid girl _is now pregnant because of you, you fucking asshole," Syaoran all but screamed. Thank god his room was soundproof. "And you abandoned her!"

He shrugged, "She should have been keeping up on her birth control."

"Fuck!" Syaoran breathed out angrily. He grabbed the coat from behind his chair Natsuo still sat at and stormed off toward the door.

"Oi, Li!" Natsuo called out. "You can't just leave! My case – "

"If you know what's good for you," Syaoran growled, "you'll stay away from me. I'll be back in tomorrow to meet with you."

He slammed the door behind him, still hearing Natsuo laughing, calling out to him;

"Fuck her good, Li!"

**b.K.d**

Sakura was shocked to say the least when she suddenly felt a pair of strong arms around her waist, pulling her to a muscular chest. She dropped the spoon she had been stirring dinner with, feeling the man behind her tremble slightly, and placed her hands on his.

Tomoyo, who had brought her home and stayed, removed her apron and smiled sadly to Sakura. "I'll call you later, okay hun?"

Sakura nodded, "Okay. Thanks."

Tomoyo smiled again, this time a bit more genuine, and left. When Sakura heard the door close, and squeezed the hands she held onto.

"Syaoran?" She asked softly. He didn't answer, but instead responded with another tremble. She knew he wasn't crying, more like holding it back, but it still pained her. She turned her head and kissed his temple, "Syaoran, are you alright?"

"I should be asking you that," he spoke in a strained voice. He gently turned Sakura so she was facing him. He laid a gentle kiss on her forehead. "Are _you_ alright?"

"I'm fine," she answered honestly. In truth, she did feel alright. Especially since he was home, since she was in his arms. She just felt safe. When he gave her a unbelieving look, she smiled as much as she could, "Honestly, Syaoran, I'm fine. I'm sorry I freaked out there. I...I wasn't expecting him."

"Don't apologize," Syaoran told her sternly. He sighed and closed his eyes, then let his forehead fall against hers and held her close.

Sakura, not moving her forehead from his, kissed the tip of his nose. "Don't you dare begin beating yourself up over this. Don't you dare. You promised me...A new beginning. We'd forget our mistakes and the past. Remember? You promised. Don't you dare go back on it now."

"But neither of us was expecting this..." he sighed loudly. "It kind of changes things, don't you think?"

"No," she said sternly. "Certainly not. It's still a new beginning for us. I refuse to let _him_" – she refused to call him by his name – "know what he's done to me. I refuse to let him bother me anymore. And you know why? Because it's a new beginning, Syaoran. And I want for you to do the same."

Syaoran suddenly broke down, catching Sakura off guard. He fell to his knees in front of her and hugged her around her waist, his cheek against her stomach as he began crying, hard. His hold on her was tight, as if he were scared to let go of her. Sakura, shocked, didn't know what to do as he only pulled her tighter.

"Y-You di-di-didn't have to hear h-how he sp-spoke about y-y-y-you," he sobbed. "I-I couldn't st-stand it! The bastard! The f-fucking bas-bastard!"

Sakura swallowed her own tears and began running her hand through his hair softly, lovingly. "Shh, Syaoran. It's alright. See? I'm alright. He can't do anything anymore. We're fine..."

"He knows wh-what he did to y-you," he choked out. "H-He knows a-about the bar. He...Oh, god, He..."

"Shhh," Sakura stopped him, feeling him tremble and suck in deep breaths to calm himself. "Calm down. It's alright."

"I can't," he whispered softly. "He...He knew wh-what happened. He came back to g-go to the bar and t-take you a-again. B-B-But I already got you o-out..."

Sakura smiled softly. She gently pried his arms off her as much as possible, since he refused to let go, and slid down so she was on her knees in front of him. She placed her hands on his cheek and used her thumbs to wipe his tears away, then leaned in and kissed the corner of each eye, ridding the tears threatening to fall.

"See?" She asked softly, kissing all over his face softly. He squeezed her tighter to him. "How can you blame yourself? If it weren't for you, he would have went to the bar. You saved me, in more than one way."

He took a deep, shaky breath and shook his head, "Is...Is it bad of me to say I _don't _blame myself anymore? I mean, I'll always feel guilty, but I don't _blame _myself anymore. When you said those vows, it was like I could forgive myself. All that weight on my shoulders disappeared."

Sakura's smile widened. She pressed her lips softly to his, "I'm glad. It's what I wanted."

"But that doesn't mean I'm not ticked about this," Syaoran continued. "I don't believe anything he told Nakamura. Rika most certainly did not try and tie herself to him. She isn't that kind of woman. I don't believe a word of it."

"Then don't take the case," Sakura suggested, as if it were the most simplest answer. "You can't defend a case you don't believe in."

"I have no choice, Sakura," Syaoran sighed. "Nakamura didn't give me a choice."

"Bastard," Sakura mumbled. She didn't know much about law, but she was sure he couldn't do that. Though if it was true, she knew Syaoran already knew that. It was no use trying to bring it up. When Syaoran raised an eyebrow to her, she giggled. "Well, he is."

Syaoran felt a small smile break through. It was funny hearing her curse, even if it wasn't all that bad. He pulled her close and kissed her fully on the mouth. "I love you," he whispered over and over as he began brushing his lips over her face. "I love you."

Sakura smiled, "I love you too, but," she pulled him away with her hands and looked him straight in the eyes. "_I'm _not going to let him bother me. No matter what happens. And I want you to do the same."

"But – !" He began to argue, remembering how the bastard had spoken about Sakura as if she were a piece of meat.

"No!" She scolded. "No matter what he does or say, I don't want you to do anything. It's the past. Besides," she looked at him seriously, though a small smile appeared on her lips, "I don't think I could handle a baby while their father is in jail."

Syaoran smiled slowly, "I suppose not."

"Good," she smiled and brushed her lips to his. "Now, how about some dinner? No more talk about Natsuo Hamada, okay?"

Syaoran paused for a moment, then smiled slowly and nodded. He kissed her chastely once more. "Okay."

**b.K.d**

After dinner, Sakura suggested they watch a movie. Still bothered with the Hamada-Sasaki case, particularly the Hamada side, but wanting to forget about it, Syaoran agreed without second thoughts. She popped in some action-romance movie and cuddled into him on the couch, pulling the soft afghan on top of them.

Halfway through the movie, Sakura felt Syaoran's lips raining kisses down her neck and along her shoulder. She giggled and moved away, but his touch followed her. "Syaoran," she gently scolded. "Haven't you gotten enough through these past few weeks?"

Syaoran smiled against her skin, "Definitely not."

His lips suddenly latched onto the crook of her neck and she gave a soft sigh as he began to suckle at her skin. She could feel her arousal begin to stir as she rubbed her legs together. She could tell he was marking her, and for some strange reason, it excited her, even though she knew where he was putting it would allow others to see it.

When he was done, he licked the skin over and smirked at his doing. There was a faint purple-red bruise looking spot on her now, marking her as his. The idea that she was marked, letting everyone in the world – and especially Natsuo Hamada – know that she was his. Seeing his mark made the blood in his body flow down to his groin and his heartbeat pick up....

And then suddenly, it was over. Syaoran had pulled away from her, leaving Sakura confused and panting for breath. She looked over to see him hunched over, his elbows on his knees and his face cradled in his palms.

"Syaoran...?"

"_Fuck her good, Li." _Hamada had said, laughing.

"I'm sorry," Syaoran whispered. "I...can't. Not tonight. Please?"

Sakura, as if immediately understanding, moved beside him. She rested her head on his shoulder and began rubbing soothing circles on his back. She kissed his hand above his cheek. "I understand."

"I'm sorry," he whispered again.

Sakura stood and moved in front of him. She held out her hands and waited until he looked up to her. She smiled softly, "Let's go to bed."

Syaoran took her hands and let her lead him to the bedroom. They both undressed, Syaoran to his boxers and Sakura to her undies before she threw on an old shirt of Syaoran's. She crawled into bed first, then held open the blankets for him. He crawled underneath and sighed softly. Sakura moved his head to her chest, then wrapped her arms around him. He held her waist, holding her close.

Sakura kissed his forehead, playing with his hair. When his breathing became even and it was clear that he had fallen sleep, she willed herself to join him in slumber.

Their new beginning was going to be a rocky beginning. But, she was determined to make it their beginning nonetheless.

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**Author's Note: ****Had some difficulties with this chappie...Had two different endings, but my beta (AWESOME HUN!! ^.^) said that this one was best, and I trust her one hundred percent ^.-**

**Also...LOL, sorry for the late update. I had an epiphany for a new story and got completely excited about it and began working on it instead of this (I know!! It was terrible!! LOL). So I'm gonna finish this one quickly, within a month or so, and post this new story. It's going to be yummy ^.- It'll be co-authored with _"swallowingtears" _and closer to the end of this, I'll be posting a spoiler for it along with what it's about ^.^**

**Again, thanks SO much to my super awesome beta ^.^ Girl, you rock! You're awesome! The cherry to my sundae!! LOL**

**XOX, Riva**

_Next time... Sakura wants - no, needs - to face Natsuo. But can she? And what are Eriol's plans? _


	14. Chapter 14

**Her Rising Saviour**

_Chapter Fourteen – Strength!

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_

Two weeks had passed since Natsuo Hamada had made his grand entrance into the law firm, and Sakura hadn't seen him since. He had come on her days off, conveniently. She had a feeling that was Syaoran's doing, and although she was grateful for it, she was also a bit ticked about it. She wanted –_** needed**_ – to prove to herself that she was strong and could handle her emotions about Natsuo. It was something she just needed to do.

Today, however, she knew that her test had presented itself.

When Syaoran brought them into the office, he seamed weary. Her first clue. And when she opened the planner on the computer, she realized that Natsuo had an early morning appointment with Syaoran scheduled.

Ten minutes before his appointment, as Sakura worked away at her computer, Natsuo Hamada appeared at her desk. He wore a large grin that would make anyone shudder and gag.

Sakura tried her best to smile, and somehow, it ended up looking genuine. "Good morning, Mr. Hamada. Mr. Li is just in his office. He's been waiting for you. I presume you know the way?"

Something flickered across Natsuo's eyes – surprise? Well, honestly, she appeared extremely calm. A complete contrast from the last time he saw her. But the glint quickly disappeared and he leaned across her desk, giving his infamous crooked grin.

"And if I said I didn't know, _Sa-ku-ra_?" He dragged out her name on each syllable.

Sakura gritted her teeth for a second, stopping herself from shuddering. She put on her sweet smile again. She knew he knew where Syaoran's office, since they had met there since Kenji had given Syaoran the case. She had only been doing her job by asking. But, she also knew she'd get in trouble if she turned him down if he claimed not to know where the office was, no matter how much the voice in her head screamed at her not to leave her desk.

She kept a smile on, "Do you not know where his office is then?"

Natsuo smirked, "No."

Sakura stood up and, pushing back the warning voices in her head, she left her desk. She forced her smile not to waver, "Please follow me, Mr. Hamada."

Natsuo nodded, still smiling sickly as he began to follow her down the hall.

**b.K.d**

Syaoran looked up to a knock on his door. Papers of the Hamada-Sasaki case was spread across his desk.

"Hey," said Eriol, a serious look on his face. "Can I speak to you for a sec?"

Syaoran looked down at his watc h and sighed, "Quickly. The bastard is supposed to be in in ten minutes."

Eriol nodded, stepped in and closed the door. He went to Syaoran's desk, refusing to take a seat in one of the two comfy seats in front of the desk. "Listen, I've been thinking..." he took a deep breath. "I've been thinking to use Sakura in the case, as a witness."

Syaoran felt himself stiffen. "I'm not sure she'd be okay with that..."

"Hear me out first," Eriol pleaded. "I've spent almost three weeks trying to get Rika to talk to me about her and Hamada's relationship. Last night, I finally got her to open up. She kept claiming that they were in love and he was the sweetest...well, anyway, her story was bull. So her boyfriend – the doctor – came in with her last night, and she opened up with him there. He practically forced himself onto her their first time, but it wasn't nearly as bad as with Sakura. She bought his BS-filled story about him loving her and only wanting all of her."

"But she stayed with him," Syaoran clarified. "That's a big difference between her and Sakura."

"Yes, but," he continued, "Hamada practically raped her their last time together. I asked Dr. Terada to check her health records, and it says that nearly nine months ago, she had to switched birth-control prescriptions. It takes a while for the body to adjust to the new prescription. With the kind she switched from, it takes two weeks. She told Hamada this, and two days later he went after her. She warned him, and he basically told her 'fuck it' and continued. And the rest you know."

"He left her as soon as he found out that she was pregnant," Syaoran nodded. He sighed angrily and ran a shaky hand through his hair. "So, basically, you want Sakura because you have a witness of a previous rape..."

"He doesn't have a rape-record," Eriol told him, though Syaoran already knew. "And neither woman has any medical records as evidence of their rapes. But," he looked away somewhat nervously, "Tomoyo has pictures of Sakura after the rape..."

"What?!" Syaoran nearly jumped out of his seat. "Does Sakura know of this?!"

Eriol seemed almost ashamed, "No, she doesn't. Sakura, as you know, refused to go to the hospital. When Hamada fell asleep, Sakura ran to Tomoyo's house. While asleep, Tomoyo carefully took photos of her bruises. It's enough evidence of abuse."

"I can't believe you'd keep that from her," Syaoran sighed loudly, shocked, and fell back into his chair. "But I can understand why you'd do that. And why you need Sakura to be a witness and prosecute against him."

"Will you talk to her then?" Eriol asked, hopeful.

Syaoran sighed and ran a hand through his hair nervously again. "Yeah..." he paused and looked down at his wrist to his watch. He frowned, "Where is he? He was supposed to be here five minutes ago. He hasn't been late before..."

All the sudden, he stopped. He felt himself grow cold as his eyes shot up to Eriol in a panic. Eriol seemed to understand and his nostrils flared, "Is Sakura working today?"

**b.K.d**

Sakura hated the way the hair on the back of her neck stood on end as she could feel Natsuo's gaze on her. It was unnerving. She was clenching and unclenching her cold, sweaty fists. When she turned the corner to Syaoran's corridor, she nearly sighed out loud in relief.

It was then, however, when she put her guard down that a hand grabbed hers and tugged her back. Before she could scream, her eyes wide and panicked, his other hand clasped over her mouth.

"Hush," he whispered into her ear. She whimpered.

He dragged them into the closest office – emptied – and locked the door behind him. Right away, he pinned her to the wall and pressed himself to her, holding her wrists down against the wall above her as he began runnin g his nose along her jaw, neck, shoulder...

Sakura whimpered again, her hands in tight fists. She could feel her fingernails digging into the skin of her palm.

"L-Let me go," she demanded. No matter how hard she tried not to, he voice still wavered.

Natsuo chuckled against her skin. He moved her hands so that he could wrap one of his hands around both of her wrists, holding them above her head. He began running his hand down her blouse covered stomach.

"Natsuo," her voice was a bit stronger. "Natsuo, let go of me before I call security."

"Does he love you?" He asked roughly. He gently bit down onto her neck and she squirmed. "Or does he merely lust for you? Didn't I warn you that women like you cannot be loved...just lust for? Didn't I?"

"Stop it!" She told him, her voice surprisingly stern.

His hand tugged the blouse out from her skirt, and his hand inched up over the skin of her stomach. Suddenly, he stopped and stiffened. He jumped back, wide eyed. He looked down from her face to her stomach, and then back up. The blouse she wore was baggy, hiding her stomach. Hiding her growing baby bump...

"Y-You're pregnant?" He asked, shocked.

Sakura's eyes were blazing. She was not the same, push-over girl from his past. She knew she was stronger. She kept his gaze locked as she tucked back in her shirt and rubbed her sore wrists.

"I'm married," she told him sternly, coldly. Of course, he didn't need to know when she got pregnant in hindsight to her wedding. "I'm pretty sure that means I'm _allowed _to get pregnant."

And then, his eyes glazed over. And Sakura immediately recognized the look of lust glowing in his dark eyes. She stood her ground firmly, waiting.

"Fuck," her mumbled loud enough for her to hear. "Fuck, that's _hot_."

At first, Sakura was completely confused. If it was so 'hot', then why the hell did he leave Rika? She scoffed, quickly coming to the appropriate conclusion; she was pregnant with _his _child, and that created responsibility. It wasn't – thank GOD! – his child nestled inside Sakura's body.

Suddenly, he made a move toward her, but she was ready. She pulled back her hand and slapped him, hard, across the face. There wasn't a lot of force behind it, but enough to surprise him and stop him in his tracks. His head snapped from shock. He grabbed his face and faced her eyes, wide eyed.

Her hand remained poised in the air, ready to strike again. She held his gaze. "I am not the same girl you ruined all those years ago. You stay away from me. Away from me, my husband, my _family_, and my friends. You got that? Stay away!"

Natsuo was still rubbing his cheek in comfort when the door swung open. Sakura's head snapped toward the door to see Eriol looking back at her, the look of relief settling in his face.

"Sakura," he breathe d out the breath he had obviously been holding. "Are you alright?"

She nodded, her legs suddenly shaking. "Yeah, I'm fine."

He gave a quick glare to Natsuo, who was still too stunned to speak, before stretching out his hand for her. Sakura quickly took Eriol's hand, letting him pull her to him. He held her close, protectively, as he walked her down the hall.

"Sakura!" She heard Syaoran's voice call.

She and Eriol stopped to see him rushing down the hall toward them, his face paled with worry. He stopped in front of them and immediately wrenched her away from Eriol, pulling her to him. He began raining kisses along her hairline.

"Oh god, oh god, oh god," he chanted between kisses, squeezing her closer. "Are you alright? Did he hurt you ? Why the hell did you leave you desk?!"

"I'm fine," she promised and gently pulled away. "He didn't do...much," she wanted to say _he didn't do anything_ just to make sure he didn't worry, but knew she'd be caught in her lie. She saw the look of concern sketch deeper into his forehead. She leaned up on her tip-toes and kissed his forehead, trying to rid the worry-lines. "I'm fine, Syaoran. Honestly. You should get into the meeting with him."

"Are you nuts?!" He demanded. "I'm not leaving you right now – !"

"Yes, you are," she pulled away and winked. "I held my own, don't worry."

Syaoran gave her a confused look. "Huh...?"

She giggled softly, hiding the scared tremor from nearly being raped again run through her body. "You'll see."

Syaoran opened his mouth to protest, but Eriol stepped forward and wrapped a friendly hand around Sakura's shoulders. He looked straight ahead to Syaoran. "Don't worry, I'll watch her for you. Nothing can happen while you're in the meeting, anyway. Besides," he paused and gave a meaningful look. "I'd like to speak to Sakura, if you don't mind."

Syaoran seemed almost hesitant, but he finally sighed loudly and nodded. He leaned forward and kissed Sakura briefly. "We're still going out for lunch, got it?"

"Yes, sir," Sakura saluted mockingly. "And please," she kissed his cheek and then caressed the spot softly, "please don't let him get to you."

He swallowed, not wanting to promise such a stupid thing, but nodded anyway. "Okay."

She smiled and let go, then let Eriol lead her down the hall a bit to his own office.

Syaoran watched her turn down the corner, then turned his flame filled glare toward the office he had watched Sakura and Eriol exit from. Sure enough, seconds later Natsuo stumbled out. The look of stun and shock across his face.

Syaoran opened his mouth to ream him a new one, when he caught sight of his cheek. He smirked, stifling a laugh.

There was a large, red hand print across his cheek, and Syaoran knew exactly who left it there.

**b.K.d**

Eriol kept a friendly hand on the small of Sakura's back, gently guiding her to his office. Once inside, he closed the door and directed her in one of the two large, comfy burgundy-leather chairs in front of his desk. She sat, but instead of him taking the seat on the opposite side of the desk, he sat down beside her in the matching chair to the one she sat in. He reached for her hand and ignored her confused frown.

"First, how do you feel?" He asked seriously. He moved his other hand to hover over her stomach and looked up to her eyes to ask permission. She gave one jerk of a nod and he gently placed his hand on her slightly bulging stomach. "How do you feel?"

"I'm fine," she answered honestly. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"That was quite an episode with Hamada, Sakura," Eriol began cautiously. "I...I wasn't sure if it could have been _too _stressful on you."

Sakura got hint of what he meant and jumped to her feet, knocking back the chair a few inches. Her hands flew to her stomach, her skin pale and cold. "Y-Y-You think that the baby...?"

Eriol jumped up as well and gently grabbed her hands, shaking his head, "No, you would know if you miscarried. If you feel fine, then you're fine. But, just make sure to tell Syaoran if anything changes. I don't know too much about pregnancy myself..."

Sakura sighed in relief, still a bit shook up as she allowed Eriol to gently push her back into her chair. She sat back down, her hands still on her stomach protectively. She heard Eriol sigh loudly, and looked up to see his eyebrows hitched close together as if in deep thought.

She frowned knowingly, "There's something else, isn't there?"

Eriol nodded with another sigh, "Sakura, there's something I have to ask of you...and I know you won't like it, but I need you to seriously consider it." All Sakura could do was nod, and so he continued cautiously. "As you know, I'm in charge of Rika's case. And though I can't go into great details with you about it, Hamada seems to have left quite an impact on her, some of which you can relate to."

Sakura's eyes widened in recognition, He...He _raped _her?!"

"In the eyes of the law, yes," Eriol sighed angrily. "In her eyes...no. But, if she'll allow it, it will hold up in court as rape. But, he has no recorded past or rape or abuse, and she has no evidence of it by this time. All we have is one young woman's word. So I was thinking, if we could use you as a witness, since you were in a similar position, and there's evidence..."

"Wait," Sakura stopped him, anger flashing in her eyes momentarily. "What do you mean you have evidence? How? I didn't even go to the hospital."

Eriol tinged pink, either from shame or embarrassment. "Um, Tomoyo took photos of the outside physical harm, like the bruising and everything, while you were asleep."

"What?!" Sakura shot up from her seat again, anger flamed in her vibrant emerald eyes. "How _dare_ she?! She had no right!"

"Calm down, Sakura," Eriol pleaded. "She didn't do it to anger you. She did it in case you ever decided to bring the bast – err, Hamada – to court."

"She had no right!" Sakura repeated herself.

"Please," Eriol begged softly, "don't be mad at her. She was honestly just looking out for you. She truly loves you..."

Sakura looked at him in the eyes for a long moment, watching as his eyes begged and plead with her. She could see that they didn't mean harm, that they were looking out for her. But somehow, she still felt violated. She sighed softly and closed her eyes, unable to look into his eyes any longer.

"Does Syaoran know of this?" She asked softly.

"Yes," Eriol whispered back.

There was another long moment of silence, and then... "Fine," she sighed, "I'll...I'll do it. I'll testify against him, for Rika's sake."

"Thank you," Eriol said sincerely, a small smile across his lips. "I know this must be difficult for you – "

Suddenly, the door swung open and in stepped Syaoran, his eyes wide with emotions and his breathing harsh.

Sakura took a step toward him, panic seizing her body. What happened? What was wrong? These and so many thoughts swam through her mind as she took in Syaoran's presence.

"Syaoran, what's going – ?" She began, her heart racing a mile a minute.

"Yoshiyuki Terada just called me. Rika's in the hospital."

* * *

**Author's Note: Dedicated to "Meiling"-chan (swallowingtears) and "Tomoyo"-chan of the ECRS, and my beta xXShining ShadowXx. I would be lost without all of you. Thank you for just being there for me and letting me rant LOL...you girls are truly awesome and amazing and...honestly, I'd be lost without you. Love you girls!!! Remember that I'm here for you, too. **

**Thanks to my awesome beta, Shadow-chan. You rock!! Beta-ing in less than 24 hours! WHOOT!**

**Thanks for the review everyone...they're awesome! Keep sending them in, please! Please please pleeeeease!!!**

**XOX, Riva**

_Next Chappie.... Rika's in the hospital?!?! Tis all I shall say ^.-_


	15. Chapter 15

**Her Rising Saviour:**

_Chapter fifteen – baby_

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_

What happened? What was wrong? These and so many thoughts swam through her mind as she took in Syaoran's presence.

"Syaoran, what's going – ?" She began, her heart racing a mile a minute.

"Yoshiyuki Terada just called me. Rika's in the hospital," he told her in a quick, excited voice. "It's a boy!"

**b.K.d**

Sakura was literally bouncing in her seat as they drove toward the hospital. Syaoran's eyes kept flickering to him, chuckling slightly at the sight of her excitement. Their hands were entwined over the console. They parked as close to the building and jumped out. Syaoran had to nearly run to keep up with Sakura as she asked a nurse for Rika Sasaki's room number and bounded over to the room, bursting inside.

The first thing Sakura took notice to was the small bundle in Rika's arm, swaddled in a blue fleece blanket. She as cooing to it, smiling like there was no tomorrow. Her hair stuck to her sweaty forehead from, and though she seemed tired, she was obviously overjoyed. Beside her, Yoshiyuki laid, his arms wrapped around her, his head rested on her shoulder as he, too, looked down at the baby with a wide smile across his face. Once in a while, he'd lean over and kiss Rika on the cheek lovingly. The sight was beyond moving and emotional.

After a few seconds of standing in the doorway, going unnoticed, Sakura stepped out of her daze and into the room. Yoshiyuki saw the movement and looked up to see the newly wed couple move into the room. He smiled at them, gently nudging Rika to look up at as well. She smiled widely at them, her eyes dancing with happiness.

Sakura rushed to her friend's side, opposite to where Yoshiyuki laid, and threw her arms around the new mother.

"Congratulations!" Sakura squealed.

"Shh!" Rika tsked with a soft giggle. She waited until Sakura pulled away slightly before bowing her head, indicating the baby. "He's sleeping."

Sakura followed Rika's attention down to the small bundle in her arms. Sakura gasped slightly, then smiled just as widely as Rika was. He was gorgeous. His hair colour was slightly wavy, the same shade of chestnut as Rika's. His skin tone was soft and matched her own perfectly. Even the way his little nose looked reminded her of Rika.

"He's beautiful," Sakura whispered.

"Hayate," Rika whispered back. She smiled as she felt Sakura look back over to her and tinged pink. She felt the man beside her tighten his arms around her only slightly. "His name is Hayate Terada."

Sakura's eyes widened. "Terada...?"

"I proposed to her thi s morning," Yoshiyuki explained with a grin. "It was, err, apparently too much for her to handle. I asked to marry me and then her water broke."

Everyone laughed as Rika's face burned red from embarrassment.

"Did you at least give him an answer?" Syaoran asked smugly, walking up beside his wife to lay a hand on her back as he leaned down to look at the new baby as well.

Rika wiggled her fingers to get their attention, not wanting to move her hand away from her baby. There, on her finger, was a small but elegant engagement ring.

"Of course I said yes," Rika answered. She turned to Yoshiyuki and grinned, "Why wouldn't I?"

He smiled widely down at her and brushed his lips to her, earning an 'aww' from Sakura.

Not long after, all four heads turned as they heard loud footsteps booming down the hall as someone ran. A blur ran past their door, and then the skidding of shoes coming to a stop screeched in their ears. The next thing they knew, Chiharu was in the doorway, her eyes wide and her breathing uneven from running.

She squealed and rushed over to Rika. Syaoran pulled Sakura away from the path Chiharu was in as she stopped where Sakura once stood and threw her arms around Rika, jumping up and down.

"I got here as fast as I could!" She explained in a rushed voice. "Traffic was like hell – opps, sorry. Little ears now. Traffic was horrible."

Rika giggled, Careful, Chi. You're going to hurt him."

Chiharu gasped and pulled away, her eyes wide and apologetic. "Opps, sorry! Sorry sorry sorry!"

Rika giggled again, shaking her head. "It's fine. Wow, I don't think I've gotten so many sorrys from you at one time."

"Oh, haha," she rolled her eyes, then her gaze found the baby. Her eyes widened and she leaned down to inspect him. "Wow, he's so...he's so small."

Yoshiyuki chuckled, "Well, he's a baby. Of course he's small."

"Yeah, I know, but, wow..." Chiharu sighed. "And he looks just like you, Rika."

Rika's eyes widened slightly, then turned away. Sakura's eyes narrowed on her and she was sure she saw Yoshiyuki's arm tighten around her. She made a mental note to get Rika alone and ask her why that was.

By this point, it was obvious that Rika was tired. Her head fell onto Yoshiyuki's and her eyes fluttered closed contentedly. He moved his head so her head would be on his shoulder instead and kissed the top of her head lovingly. "Perhaps some sleep for the new mother? You haven't rested yet."

"Mmm-hmm..." Rika mumbled. Yoshiyuki gently took the sleeping baby from her and placed it in the small plastic crib that was placed in the room. He wheeled the small box-like contained over and placed it beside the bed, the baby being at Rika's eye level now.

He leaned down and kissed her forehead once more before tur ning to the others. "We should let her sleep."

"I have to call Takashi, anyway," Chiharu shrugged. "I may have run out on him..."

Sakura and Syaoran whipped their attention to her, their eyes bugging out. Syaoran nearly choked on nothing. "T-Takashi? As in Yamazaki?!"

Chiharu smiled with a wink and nodded, "Yep. Thanks for inviting him to that wedding, Syaoran. He's truly a die...err, minus that little lying thing he has going on." She added with a mumble, "Definitely going to have to fix that."

"That's great!" Sakura smiled brightly. "You two make a lovely couple, despite your differences."

Chiharu scoffed, "He can be sweet...when he's not making up those ridiculous stories." She sighed and giggled, "But the poor guy...I got a call from Yoshiyuki here while we were in the middle of a late breakfast. The poor guy, I just left him there. He's probably confused beyond belief."

Syaoran nodded in understanding, grinning, and then turned to Sakura. "You should go get something to eat, anyway. It's nearing lunch now."

"I'm fine – " She began to protest just as her stomach growled quietly, giving her away. She blushed slightly and grabbed her stomach, causing the rest to laugh.

"Definitely time to eat," Syaoran told her, still grinning. He slung an arm around her shoulders as the group began to leave, Yoshiyuki mumbling some thing about speaking to his boss to get the night off, when Rika's small voice stopped them.

"Sakura," she mumbled, sleepily. "Can I speak to you? Um, alone?"

Sakura frowned slightly, looking confused, but nodded in agreement. She turned to Yoshiyuki in question, but he only shook his head, obviously confused as well.

Syaoran let her go and kissed her forehead, "I'll bring you up some lunch. What are you in the mood for?"

Sakura scrunched up her nose, "Eww, cafeteria food." She sighed, "Well, I'll take what I can get. What do they have?"

"Their cold pasta is good," Yoshiyuki offered. "Probably the only thing edible, actually."

Sakura giggled, "Aright then, a cold pasta and..." she thought for a moment, then giggled again, "And the baby wants chocolate today. Something rich and just bad for me."

Syaoran chuckled, "I'll see what I can find. Worse case scenario, I'll stop at a vending machine."

Sakura watched the three leave, then went to Rika's side. Rika appeared extremely tired, with heavy lidded eyes that would flutter closed every once in a while. Yet she managed to turn her head to Sakura, showing her that she would stay awake. Sakura, however, didn't agree.

"You should really rest," Sakura gently scolded. "You must be tired."

"No, no," she mumbled with a small smile, "I'm fine, really. I just need to talk to you...without the others."

"Alright then," Sakura began, apprehensive. "We're alone."

Rika sighed and looked over to her baby. A sad smile appeared on her lips. She whispered, her voice barely audible. "He's beautiful."

Sakura slowly grinned and nodded, "He really is. Like Chiharu said, he looks just like y – "

"He has his eyes."

Sakura stopped, her eyes widening on Rika. His eyes...? But, that could only mean.... Her mouth dropped into a small 'o' shape. With her heart breaking, she reached across the bed to hold Rika's hand. She gave a gentle squeeze and began running her thumb soothingly over her knuckles. She could only imagine the pain it caused her, having a child that resembled someone such as Natsuo Hamada.

"That child is not Natsuo Hamada, Rika," Sakura explained softly yet sternly. "He's an entirely different person. He's your baby, not his – "

"I know that," Rika said softly. She looked at Sakura with a confused frown, "Do you...Do you think that I would love him less, simply because he has Natsuo's eyes?"

Sakura looked away in slight shame, "I...I just figured, s-since Natsuo is a hurtful memory and all..."

"Hayate is my baby," Rika whispered. "And no matter whom his father is, I will always love him. More than anyone else in the world. Because he is mine. Mine to love and protect, to cherish and hold, to teach and to care for. I love him, Sakura. More than anything and anyone."

"Then...?"

Rika sighed softly and forced herself to look Sakura in the eye, "Mr. Hirragizawa told me what he was going to ask you to do, and I just want you to know that you don't have to, Sakura. Because I know how much it hurts. Probably hurts you more than me simply because it was classified as rape right away with you. With me, I thought it was love the whole time. So you really don't have to stand up against hi – "

Sakura squeezed her hand to stop her, "Rika, I _am_ going to stand up in court as a witness against Natsuo. What he did...What he's done...it's not right. And it took me forever to actually accept that. And though it may hurt, I want to get justice, if only a bit. If I can help...I...I will, Rika."

Rika grinned slightly at her, then let a true smile shine through. She looked back at her baby, her smiling growing as she saw his sleeping face.

"How does it feel?" Sakura asked quietly, her voice scarcely a whisper as she watched the new mother gazing at her baby.

And Rika didn't even have to question what she meant. She simply looked back and grinned widely, her eyes gleaming. "Like nothing else. The feeling of seeing your child, holding him for the first time...it's indescribable. And the feeling of realizing that you're a mother...Sakura, it's the best feeling in the world."

Sakura smiled at her, her hands unconsciously moving to her own stomach.

Then, Rika shocked her by leaning forward and placed a hand atop of Sakura's, above her stomach. She smiled slightly at the small baby bump, large enough to notice by touch but not enough to be showing through her baggy blouse.

"Have you seen it yet?" Rika asked.

"The baby?" She asked, confused. When Rika nodded, she shook her head, "No, of course not – "

"Ultrasounds?" Rika asked, sounding somewhat worried.

Sakura bit her lip. She hated being in hospitals. Syaoran had to force her to come when they first found out about the pregnancy, since he wanted to be sure. She had an ultrasound done then, but nothing really showed through. To Sakura, it was looked like a Picaso picture.

"I take that as a no?" Rika asked, sounding disapproving. Sakura looked away and Rika sighed.

"Sakura, please schedule an appointment. Maybe Yoshi can get you in quicker. But you have to get checked out, just to make sure everything is going okay with the baby."

"Can it be in danger?" Sakura asked, alert and afraid. Suddenly, the memories of earlier that day replayed in her mind, and Eriol's worried voice over a possible miscarriage due to stress. She didn't want to lose the baby. She couldn't lose the baby! She was taking her vitamins, eating and resting properly, and her lamaze class had just finished. How could the baby not be okay?

"It's always just a precaution," Rika explained quickly. "Better safe than sorry."

Sakura sighed and closed her eyes, slowly rubbing her stomach.

But the next question of Rika's stopped Sakura dead cold.

"Has it kicked yet?"

Sakura's eyes shot open and the look of dread crossed her face. No, she hadn't felt a kick. Or any movement at all. She was four, almost five, months along...shouldn't she have felt something by now? She felt her breathing shallow in fear and her hand clutch her stomach.

"Sakura?" Rika sounded alert, grabbing her hands. "Sakura, look at me." Sakura looked up, her eyes wide and doe-like. Rika gave a weak, shaky smile, "Don't you go jumping to conclusions. It...It may just be a night kicker, you know? Just go get it checked out, yes?"

Sakura was about to nod when she felt a worried hand on her shoulder. She looked to her side to see Syaoran holding a tray of food, looking down at her with an anxious expression. She gave a small smile, but he obviously saw through her facade.

"Are you alright?" He asked softly. "You look panicked."

Sakura went to nod her head, to reassure him, when he gave her a small glare as if telling her not to BS with him. She changed her nod to a small shake of her head, more so a jerk. She opened her mouth to speak, but the panic came crashing down on her again, causing her voice to catch in her throat.

Syaoran turned to Rika, who was looking at him worriedly. "Sakura's told me that you haven't had felt the baby kick yet. And that you haven't had an ultrasound yet."

Sakura went to nod her head, to reassure him, when he gave her a small glare as if telling her not to BS with him. She changed her nod to a small shake of her head, more so a jerk. She opened her mouth to speak, but the panic came crashing down on her again, causing her voice to catch in her throat.

Syaoran immediately looked to Rika, who was looking at him worriedly. "Sakura's told me that you haven't had felt the baby kick yet. And that you haven't had an ultrasound yet."

Syaoran frowned slightly, "I brought her for an ultrasound when we first found out..."

"That's not enough," Yoshiyuki cut in. All eyes turned to him, seeing his suddenly stern face. It was obvious that he was now in his doctor mode. "At the very least you should have had one when Sakura hit her second trimester. Granted, with the wedding you were busy, but that doesn't excuse it. Sakura, a baby usually starts kicking in the fourth to fifth month."

"But she would have got sick if she lost the baby!" Syaoran nearly screamed. "There would have been blood and – "

"Yes," the doctor agreed, "And what I'm saying is the baby may not be dead, but perhaps a problem has risen." He turned to Sakura with a stern, serious look to his face. "I'm setting up an appointment for you for this afternoon. I don't know if any of the doctors are available though. Are you comfortable with me taking a look?"

Sakura slowly nodded, tears pricking her eyes as she clutched her stomach, cradling it. "Y-Yes."

Yoshiyuki nodded once, then turned to Syaoran. "If you two can follow me then, I can probably get us into a room right now."

** b.K.d**

Sakura held Syaoran's hand tightly as she watched Dr. Terada gently lift her shirt and smear the warm jelly across her abdomen. A towel was draped across her pelvis, hiding her since she had had to push down her pants slightly to get proper access to her pelvic area.

When the gross-feeling liquid was all on her, Yoshiyuki turned to the machine and grabbed something that vaguely resembled a microphone. Sakura tensed as he placed it into her lower abdomen and placed a slight pressure on it. In return, Syaoran squeezed her hand, rubbing her knuckles with his thumb gently.

The screen was turned away from the Lis, for the obvious of reason of incase something did come up and to stop any panic. So Sakura and Syaoran watched his face with silence, nearly unable to breath. The clock clicked by for nearly a whole minute, each second a painful silence as Yoshiyuki's face was set in a serious, unreadable way.

Finally, he let out a soft sigh, making Sakura automatically worry, but then a small smile played across his lips.

Sakura sucked in a sharp breath, "What?"

Yoshiyuki grinned at her, "Take a look for yourself."

He turned to screen to the expecting parents. Both gasped, their wide eyes glued to the screen.

There, on the screen, was the perfect outline of a head a face. You could make out the little eyelids and nose and lips perfectly. Pending on how the doctor moved, a hand with five fingers or a foot with five toes would also pop up.

Sakura squeezed Syaoran's hand, tears brimmin g her eyes. She vaguely felt his lips against the back of her hand.

"That's...That's our baby," she whispered softly.

Syaoran kissed her hand again, his eyes wide and shining happily. "That's our baby, Sakura."

After watching the screen for a few seconds, Yoshiyuki broke the comfortable, magical silence. He kept his voice soft, not wanting to disturb the amazing silence too much. "Do you want to hear its heartbeat?"

Syaoran's head snapped toward the doctor as Sakura kept her eyes glued to the screen. "You can do that?"

"Of course," Yoshiyuki grinned. He turned back to the equipment and quickly turned on the sound.

Quickly, the room was filled with the softest _ba-dump...ba-dump...ba-dump..._ sound. Sakura's eyes only watered again as she bit her bottom lip to stop the tears from spilling over. _**Damn pregnancy hormones!!**_

"God, it's beautiful," Syaoran whispered softly, closing his eyes and listening to the sound. "That has to be the most beautiful sound I've ever heard."

Sakura nodded in agreement, lost for words.

And again, Yoshiyuki broke the silence. "Do you wish to know the gender before hand?"

Sakura's head turned slowly to Syaoran. She bit her lower lip softly and asked quietly, "Do you?"

"Do _you_?" He countered.

"I...I sort of do," she admitted, "but I'm fine with it if you don't."

Syaoran smiled at her, pressed his lips softly to her forehead, and turned to the doctor. He nodded once, and the doctor grinned. He turned back to the screen and began moving the mic-looking object around on Sakura's stomach once more. After a moment, he paused and pointed to a small spot on the screen.

"There? You see that?" He asked. Both squinted, but saw nothing. The doctor, however, with many years of experience, saw it as bright as day. He grinned to them both, "Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Li...you're going to be blessed with a baby boy."

"And...he's healthy?" Sakura asked softly, looking to the doctor worriedly.

Yoshiyuki smiled with a nod, "Yes, he seems perfectly fine. I suspect he's just a bit late with the kicking. Or if he does, he could be a night-kicker? His kicks won't be too powerful yet, so if he is a night-kicker, it won't wake you up."

Both Sakura and Syaoran let out a long sigh of relief, slowly smiles creeping onto both of their faces. Sakura turned to Syaoran, grinning like there was no tomorrow.

"We're having a boy," she whispered, as if amazed.

Syaoran also grinned, then leaned forward and brushed his lips to hers. "Yes we are."

When they got home, they immediately framed the ultrasound, having gotten a printout of the baby – his face shown perfectly and his body simply a large oval, though a hand was lightly recognizable as well. They placed the tiny frame beside their bed, and fell asleep facing it, Syaoran pressed up against Sakura's back as her eyes remained glued to it until sleep took over her tired body.

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**Author's Note: Soooo ^.^ What did you think? Rika's finally had her baby and Sakura and Syaoran know the gender of the baby ^.^ 'Tis exciting, ne?**

**As usual...thanks to **_**xXShining ShadowXx**_** for her beta-ing!! You rock girl....though obviously, you know this XD LOL**

**And thanks to 'Meiling'-chan (**_**swallowingtears**_**) and 'Tomoyo'-chan for putting up with my countless hours of ranting these past two weeks. God girls, I owe you huge!! Remember that you can come to me for anything, anything at all.**

**Please leave a review!!! I can't thank you all enough for them...they completely rock my world, no matter how cheesy that sounds XD**

**xox, Riva **

_Next Chappie... Sakura's facing something she has never had to do before - tell someone what exactly took place the night Natsuo forced himself onto her. Not even Syaoran or Tomoyo know that exactly....only vague details. Can she make it through telling Eriol everything? And what happens when she takes it a step farther, needing the support of others?_


	16. Chapter 16

**Her Rising Saviour:**

_Chapter Sixteen – Support

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Mornings began to have a new tradition. Wake up...Syaoran kiss Sakura's growing stomach, saying his good-morning to the baby – their baby boy...and then before they had their shared shower, they would stare at the ultrasound photo of the baby and grin like there was no tomorrow. Once, Sakura even picked it up and pressed her lips to it, whispering a good-morning herself.

It was now nearly a week after Rika's baby had been born. Rika had been released from the hospital only a day after Hayate had been born, and Sakura and Syaoran had made sure to stop by the house and visit nearly everyday.

The baby was quiet, much to Rika's relief, and often slept, even through the night surprisingly. But when he was awake...Sakura swore there was nothing cuter. He had the brightest set of eyes, full of joy and innocence. And his soft cheeks were always rosy. Yoshiyuki had been working less hours, wanting to spend the time with Rika and his son – yes, he saw the child as his. He was determined to raise it as so, as he loved it like his own. Syaoran had even helped Yoshiyuki move Rika into the Terada household. Chiharu, whom was over as often as the Li couple, had even brought Yamazaki over once, though Yamazaki had obviously not felt comfortable around the child. The way he held was completely awkward.

This day, however, when Sakura woke up, she wore the smallest of grimaces. An opposite to the usual happy smile she wore these days. She turned off the alarm, but didn't try and move to wake Syaoran. She simply laid there.

Today was the day she had promised to speak to Eriol. She had never gone into detail about the night with Natsuo Hamada, not even with Tomoyo and Syaoran. They both knew that she had been forced upon, and that was it. No one knew the full details. She was actually scared.

As if hearing her thoughts, she felt the arm wrapped around her waist give her a squeeze of comfort as a pair of soft lips descended on her shoulder.

"It'll be okay," Syaoran whispered tiredly against her skin. "I'll be there the whole time, Sakura."

Sakura let out a shaky breath and rolled onto her back. Syaoran immediately propped himself up onto his elbow, leaning slightly over Sakura. Sakura frowned and reached up to trace the dark purple circles under his eyes, showing his lack of sleep.

"I'm fine," he reassured her with a shrug.

"You didn't sleep," Sakura stated disapprovingly.

Syaoran sighed, his breath wavering. "No, I...I was too worried about how you were holding up."

Sakura forced a small smile, guilt flooding through her. She didn't want him to be worried, at least not that much. She didn't want him losing sleep on her account. But she knew that whatever she'd say, he would counter it. So instead, she pushed herself up and kissed him softly and sweetly. When she pulled away, laying back down, both were smiling. Not happily, but contentedly, as if reassuring one another.

And so the usual morning ritual began. Syaoran gently pulled back the blankets, then pushed up Sakura's night-wear – like usual, she was wearing one of his shirts that were much too big for her. Then he pressed his lips to her stomach; being five months along, give or take a few days, her bulge was definitely not just a little noticeable. The only way it wasn't was if she wore a baggy, flowy shirt.

"Good morning, son," Syaoran whispered against her skin, his eyes closed. "Give your mom some support today, 'kay? She's going to need it. Take care of her, like I know you will."

Sakura watched him with pure love shining in her eyes. She reached down and began running her fingers through his unruly morning hair, her fingernails gently scraping his scalp. Syaoran laid his head on her stomach, his eyes still closed. He began running his fingers along her side, then turned his head slightly and kissed her again. "I love you, Sakura. Please, if you don't want to do this..."

"I _don't want_ to do this," she cut him off. "But I have to, Syaoran. It's something I just have to do."

He sighed, his eyebrows furrowed. Though he agreed, he was worried about her nonetheless. His eyes opened to move onto their next ritual; staring at the only photo they had of their baby for a few minutes. Through this, they kept up with their ministrations with one another; Syaoran running his fingers along her side, and Sakura running her fingers through his hair.

They hurried through their shower in silence, neither making a move on the other like usual mornings. Usually, Sakura would help Syaoran take care of his usual morning 'problem', and if they had time, he'd return the favour. Once in a while, it would turn into full-blown sex. This morning, however, was different. And apparently, the stress and worry flowing through Syaoran had stopped his morning wood from staying at all.

Syaoran held her hand all through the car ride, the ride up the elevator, and walking to Eriol's office. Once at his office, he felt her tense beside him. He knew the feeling; he was on pins and needles, but tried to keep it hidden from Sakura. He squeezed her hand, trying to let her know _'I'm here...Don't worry. I'm not going anywhere.' _and knocked on Eriol's door.

The door quickly opened, revealing a nervous looking Eriol. Obviously, he knew how large of a step this was for Sakura. He offered a weak smile and opened the door wide enough for them. He pulled the two chairs in front of his desk away from the desk, then offered the seats to them. Syaoran sat Sakura, then pushed his chair so it was right beside hers, the arms touching. As he took his seat, Eriol wheeled his chair from behind the desk and sat in front of them. Each man took a hand of Sakura's, trying to offer silent support.

"Sakura," Eriol said softly, soothingly, "I understand that this is going to be difficult for you. Difficult is probably an understatement, and if at any time you feel uncomfortable or stressed..."

"I'll be fine," she cut him off.

He gave another weak smile, "I just need you to tell me, tell us, if things become too much, okay?"

She let out a long sigh, then nodded. Eriol gave her hand a quick squeeze of support, then leaned over to his desk and pressed play of a small black recorder. He took a deep breath and quickly recorded the date, then added, "Mrs. Sakura Li, born Sakura Kinomoto."

Sakura looked at her lap, her eyes straying to Syaoran and her interlaced hand. His thumb was moving soothingly over her knuckles. She could already feel her breath quivering, "Where do you want me to start?"

"Anywhere you'd like," Eriol spoke softly. When Sakura didn't continue, he suggested, "How about how you and Mr. Hamada met?"

"It was about six months after my...my boyfriend moved away, four months after I started collage. I kept to myself, and he approached me, offering to take me out for coffee," Sakura explained, her jaw already tense. She didn't expect it to be so hard, and as soon as she mentioned Syaoran moving away, she felt a squeeze of her hand from him.

"And did you take up the offer?" Eriol asked. Though he knew these parts, he needed her to speak them and for it all to be documented.

"Not at first," Sakura carefully searched through the memories she had desperately tried to forget. "My friend found me speaking to him and pulled me away. She warned me that Natsuo was, in her words, a 'man-whore'. But when he asked again the next day...I took up the offer."

"And I suspect your friend wasn't too happy?" Eriol asked, watching her carefully.

"No, not at all, everyday she'd tell me to stay away from him," Sakura sighed, wishing she had listened to Tomoyo.

"And then what happened?" He urged on.

Sakura tensed, her hand tightening around Syaoran's into a white skinned, tight grasp. He didn't complain though. In fact, he gripped her hand back. He leaned over and pressed his lips softly to her temple, pulling back only enough to whisper soothingly to her, "It's alright Sakura...you'd doing great. If you have to, you can stop."

"I-I'll be fine," she stammered. She closed her eyes and took a long breath through her nose, then let it out through her mouth. After a few more cycles of this, she opened her eyes and continued cautiously. "Natsuo and I were dating for six months. It was our six month anniversary. He said he wanted to cook something special for me, so I went to his apartment. I had been to his place before without anything happening.

"After dinner, he suggested watching a movie," Sakura continued, feeling her voice waver. She took a second to breathe again and continued once more. "We curled up in his bed to watch the movie. Not long into the movie, he...h-he...h..."

Sakura didn't even realize the tears were silently rolling down her cheeks until she felt Syaoran's lips brushed against her cheeks, gently wiping away the wet trails leading down from her eyes. She slammed her eyes shut, trying to stop the tears, but that only caused memories to erupt and flash before her.

"_Get off me!"... "Six fucking months"... "Just what men want" ... "To fuck you. To screw you. But never love you"... "Just open up like a good little girl..." ... "Natsuo, get off me!"... "B...But you l-l-love me..."_

She whimpered, ripping her hand away from Syaoran and pressing her fists to the side of her head, her body shaking. God, it wasn't supposed to hurt this way! This took place ages ago, so why did it still hurt so badly? Why couldn't she just say what had happened? _**Fuck! **_

The next thing she knew, she was in Syaoran's lap. He had his arms wrapped tightly around her, gently rocking her back and forth. He had her head tucked beneath his, his fingers drawing soothing lines across her side and his lips were pressed to the crown of her head.

"Shhh," he soothed, "calm down, Sakura. Everything is alright...everything is fine. Stay with me, sweetheart. You're here...in my arms...no where else, understand? Calm down, it's all alright. You're safe, sweetheart, you're safe..."

Sakura slowly lowered her fists from her head and wrapped them around Syaoran instead. She turned her head and buried her face into his neck, biting her lip as her sobs turned into sniffles. Syaoran continued to soothe her with soothing words and touches.

After a moment, Eriol spoke up quietly, "Should we stop here for today?"

Syaoran was about to answer 'yes', but Sakura held him tighter and shook her head. Her voice was muffled from her face being buried, but both men heard her nonetheless, "N-No, I have to get th-through this."

She took a few calming breaths, then turned her face to face Eriol. She tried to move off of Syaoran's lap, but he tightened his grip on her. She sighed and eased back into him, grateful that he had stopped her. Something told her that she'd need him still, and the nearness was comforting. His fingers continued to run up and down along her side, his lips peppering the odd kiss into her hair.

"I-I'm sorry," she said shakily.

"Don't apologize," Eriol dismissed. "Continue when you can. Don't stress over it."

Sakura nodded. After one last calming breath, she continued, "Not long into the movie, he...he rolled on top of me, pinning me to the bed. He told me that he had every right to do anything he wished with me, since we had been together for six months. He told me that he didn't love me, and that no guy ever could. That I was only good for _fucking_, for _screwing_ and for pleasuring. That the only...only reason I-I existed was for the male species to lust for me..."

She was having troubles keeping the tears at bay. They were in her eyes, blurring her vision. She closed her eyes, pushing them and the memories and visions back. Syaoran held her tighter, cooing to her softly as he continued his soothing caresses and ministrations.

"Is there anything else?" Eriol asked quietly.

Sakura shook her head vigourously, "N-No, h-h-he had his w-way with me after th-that."

"Okay," he whispered with a small nod. He turned to his tape recorder and said softly, "End session SL, recording one," then turned it off. He slipped off his seat and knelt in front of Sakura, reaching for her hands. He gave them a gentle squeeze and laid a gentle kiss on the back of both of them.

"I'm sorry," he apologized, "I'm so sorry...I know it hurts. But thank you so much for being so strong, Sakura. It means a lot to me...to all of us. And I'm sure it'll help you in the long run."

Sakura inhaled a shaky breath and nodded. She then buried her head into Syaoran's neck again, wrapped her arms around Syaoran again and held on tightly to pull herself closer to him, then cried again.

Syaoran pulled her in tighter, holding her for everything that was worth. He found himself swallowing the ball of tears building inside his throat. For the past almost two years, he had known that the bastard had raped her and had told her how worthless she was, but he hadn't expected it to be that bad. How she had told it, seeing how painful it still was to her...it was like he could see everything happening before his own eyes. It hurt him – as if tearing his heart and soul in two – to see her hurt so much.

Syaoran looked up to Eriol, their pained eyes matching, "If Nakamura asks...I've taken the day off. I'm bringing Sakura home."

"Sy – " She began to protest.

"No," he stopped her softly, "I don't have any appointments scheduled, anyway. We're going home, and you're not going to argue." He looked back to Eriol, "I'll see you tomorrow."

Eriol nodded, his eyes sadly glued onto Sakura, "Yeah, thanks."

Syaoran gave one slight nod, then tightened his hold on Sakura and stood. He gently set her on her feet and wrapped his arm around her waist, supporting her weight. He kissed the top of her head gently, then held her as close as possible and trudged out of the office.

**b.K.d**

Once at home, Syaoran sat a sniffling Sakura on the bed. He began looking around for comfort clothes, and quickly found a pair of worn-in track pants and one of his university sweaters. He grabbed her slippers and a clean towel from the hallway closet, then began a hot bath for Sakura. As the water ran, steaming up the bathroom, he rifled through the cupboard and came across 'soothing bath salts: to calm your soul'. He poured some into the water and immediately he was struck with the soothing scent of lavender and vanilla.

When the tub was full and he could turn it off, he went back to the bedroom. Sakura was laying on her side, her eyes staring at the photo of their baby. He smiled sadly, then went to her and scooped her up in his arms. In the bathroom, he helped her undress, then lifted her into the bath. He knelt down beside the tub and began running the back of his fingers along the contours of her face.

"Are you alright?" He asked softly, his voice and eyes laced with concern.

She turned to him, and his heart broke. Though she was no longer crying, her eyes were puffy and strained from the tears. Her face was blotched with red and dried trails of tears stained her cheeks.

"I'm fine," she whispered hoarsely.

He continued to soothe her, the softest of smiles playing across his face, "I'm very proud of you, sweetheart. That took a lot of courage, but you did it. I am so, _so_, proud."

She frowned slightly, "I didn't do much, though. It's silly to be proud of that."

"Don't be ridicu – "

"No," she cut him off, looking away. "Syaoran, this was years ago. I should be able to speak about it. And yet, it still hurt – stung – like he had only done it hours before." She lowered her voice, her bangs sweeping in front of her eyes, "I...I hate feeling so weak."

"Sakura," Syaoran said sternly. He took her face into his hands and forced her to look at him, "You are not weak. If you were weak, you never would have overcome your fears of speaking about that bastard. You would have kept it all locked away. For the first time in years, you told people what happened that night. That, my dear, takes a lot of courage and strength. You," he looked at her sternly, his eyes blazing, "are far from weak."

When he leaned in to brush his lips to her forehead, Sakura felt a small smile tug at her lips. He pulled away, his thumb brushing the contour below her eye. She gave a soft, genuine smile, and whispered, "Thank you."

"There's no need," he told her softly. He kissed her forehead once more, then stood. "I'm going to go make you some camomile tea. It'll help you relax and hopefully take a nap. You definitely need one. You look worn out, and the tea doesn't have any caffeine."

He turned to leave, but a wet hand grabbed his wrist to stop him. He turned back to see Sakura pleading with him using her eyes.

"Join me?" She asked simply, softly.

The look of a torn expression spread across his face, "I'm not sure...that tea would really help you, Sakura."

"I only want you," she whispered, begging. "Please, I only _need_ you."

He held her gaze for a moment longer, really wanting her to have some of the tea. He knew how much she liked it and how much it'd help her rest. But the look in her eyes...He couldn't deny her. So he sighed softly and nodded, giving in. He removed his clothes and tossed them into the wicker hamper in the corner. Sakura scooted over to make room for him in the large tub.

Syaoran slid into the water and laid back against the back of it as Sakura nestled between his legs, pressing her back to his chest. He sighed and closed his eyes in comfort, resting his chin onto Sakura's shoulder as the comforting scents of lavender and vanilla flowed through him. He wrapped his arms around her waist and interlaced their fingers together.

"Syaoran?" Sakura whispered, breaking the calming silence.

"Hm?" He answered, not moving his head.

"I..." she strained, and immediately Syaoran stiffened. His eyes opened and he turned his head slightly to look at her face. She was looking down at the water, to their fingers. She bit her lower lip, obviously nervous. "Syaoran, I...I want to speak to my father and Toya, about Natsuo and...and what happened afterwards."

Syaoran felt himself stiffen. He knew that would be even more painful for her than when she had spoken to Eriol. Simply because she had always said she knew, or at least as though, they'd be disappointed in her and hate her. He knew if she did speak to them, it'd be a huge step for her. And that it'd hurt her more than today.

"Are you sure?" He asked cautiously.

"Yes," she nodded, though she seemed uncertain. "I...They have to know. I know that they'll be angry, especially Toya, but Syaoran," she turned to face him, her eyes pleading with him to understand, "I need their support through this. Eriol has my testimony, but I still need to get up there as a witness. And...And I want my family's support as I do it."

Syaoran gave her an encouraging smile and leaned over to press his lips to hers softly. "I understand, sweetheart."

_Weak my ass_, he scoffed mentally.

**b.K.d**

That evening, Sakura called her brother and father and asked for them to come visit. They both were worried by the sudden call, but both agreed and decided to come the following evening.

So now, Sakura's shaking hands were working on cutting up carrots for dinner. Syaoran was frying the chicken, but watching her closely, watching her distress. She was cutting her third carrot when she let out a yelp and dropped the knife. Syaoran dropped what he was doing and jumped over to her, grabbing the hand she had up to her mouth, the hurt finger between her fingers. He looked to see that she had cut herself, though only slightly, at the tip of her finger. He sighed and brought the finger to his lips, gently kissing it.

"Please be careful," he asked her softly. He reached over for a papertowel and pressed it to her cut, the blood quickly seeping through the white disposable cloth. He looked up at her with worried eyes, "Let me take care of dinner. You're a bundle of nerves right now. Please just go sit and rest."

She shook her head, "I need to be doing something."

"You're not being safe though," he scolded softly. When she didn't seem to want to back down, he sighed angrily and placed his hands onto her hips. With one swift movement, he lifted her onto the counter and gently squeezed her hips, silently asking her to stay put. He met her gaze with his own pleading eyes, "Please, for me? I'm worried about you. Just stay here and I'll finish dinner."

With a soft sigh, Sakura nodded in agreement and allowed Syaoran to finish making dinner.

Half an hour later, dinner was being placed into the oven as a knock on the door alerted them to their guests arrival. Sakura tensed a she heard the knock and it took everything Syaoran had to not try and convince her to back down and not tell them anything. Instead, he helped her down from the counter and held her hand as they went to the door.

Toya came storming in, the look of confusion and little-patience in his eyes. He immediately went to his sister and crossed his arms sternly in front of him, his harsh gaze set on her. Beside her, Syaoran stiffened and glared at him as Sakura shift uncomfortably. _Asshole! _Syaoran thought angrily, feeling how

"Okay, spill," Toya growled to his baby sister. "There is no reason why you'd just suddenly call us both out, and want to see us so soon. So spill...what's going on? Did the bastard here hurt you? If so," he smirked smugly, "you're more than welcome to come home. My apartment has an extra room you can stay in – "

"I didn't do anything, Kinomoto," Syaoran growled.

Toya's head snapped toward Syaoran, his eyes narrowing murderously, "Look, _boy_, just because we are siblings by law now...that doesn't mean I would kill you any less. If anything, I'll make sure it's bloodier now. So shut the hell up. I want to hear that from Sakura, not you."

Syaoran's hand tightened on Sakura as he opened his mouth to retaliate, but Fujitaka stepped in between his son and son-in-law, stopping that from happening.

"Calm down, Toya," he ordered softly. "You can't just barge in here and demand answers like that." Toya grunted, but didn't argue and looked away angrily, mumbling under his breath. Fujitaka sighed and turned to Syaoran with a small smile, "I apologize for his rash behaviour. He's honestly just worried for Sakura."

"Understandable," Syaoran reassured him, truly understanding where the brother was coming from. However, no matter how much he understood, the guy still irritated Syaoran to no end. He gripped Sakura's hand and forced a smile to her father, "Please, come in and take a seat. I think Sakura wants to speak to you two before dinner. It's in the oven as we speak."

Syaoran led the Kinomoto men to the living room, silently asking them to take a seat on the sofa. They sat, and Syaoran felt Sakura shift from foot to foot uncomfortably. He led her to the chair off to the side of the sofa and gently sat her down, then took a seat on the arm of the chair. She immediately leaned into him, and he wrapped an arm around her shoulders, gently rubbing circles up and down her arm.

Sakura took a deep breath, then opened her mouth, but no sound came out. She quickly shut her mouth and looked down nervously, fidgeting with her fingers.

"Deep breaths, Sakura," Syaoran leaned in and whispered to her. "Start when you're ready. We have all night, sweetheart."

She nodded against him, feeling the piercing gaze of her brother and the confused gaze of her father on her, making her more nervous. Finally, after a fair amount of time passed, Fujitaka cleared his throat.

"Sakura, pumpkin," he began softly, worry laced through his voice. "Is something wrong? Are you in trouble?"

Sakura let out a shaky breath and shook her head, "No...not anymore..."

"When you're ready," Syaoran repeated softly, kissing the top of her head.

After another few minutes, she inhaled through her nose and exhaled through her mouth; her calming ritual. "Toya, Dad...I...I have something to confess...B-But I'm scared."

"Scared?" Fujitaka frowned, wanting to go over and hug his daughter, comfort her. But something told him to stay put, that it'd only make it worse. "Scared of what?"

"That you'll hate me," she whispered softly, almost too softly for her family to hear.

"We could never hate you, Sakura," Fujitaka reassured her.

"I'm not too sure," she let out a shaky, nervous chuckle.

"Sakura, please look at me," Fujitaka pled. When her green eyes looked up at him, he could see the pure stress straining in them. The sight broke his heart. He looked deep into her eyes, making sure she understood completely, "I am your father, Sakura. And Toya is your brother. No matter what has happened...we'll never love you less. And we could most certainly never hate you."

Sakura nodded, tears brimming her eyes. She looked back down, feeling Syaoran's lips in her hair again. With one last calming breath-ritual, she began her story. "When I went to collage, a lot of things happened, and I met a man named Natsuo Hamada..."

It took nearly an hour for her to explain the whole story, from start to finish. She began, ashamed, with telling them how she shut down when Syaoran left and how she thought Syaoran simply didn't love her which caused her to go into a shell. How she spent the first four months at collage in isolation. How she had met Natsuo Hamada and he somehow reminded her of Syaoran. How he told her he loved her. How he forced himself on her and the lies he fed her.

And that had been the easiest part. Even though she hadn't been able to look up from her lap to her father the whole time, even though she had tears silently rolling down her cheeks, it was the easier part to tell her family. The second half of the story took her the majority of the hour, as she had had to stop many times to recompose herself.

With each break-down she had, Syaoran would hold her tighter and closer. He would whisper soothing words into her ear, reassuring her that she could take her time. He would rub small circles along her arm, hip or side and pepper kisses on the crown of her head. He was there for her, even when he could feel the heated, hated glare of Toya. And every time Toya would begin yelling, either interrupting the story to scream at Syaoran or interrupt Sakura's recomposing silence, Syaoran would yell back at him to sit the hell down and shut up.

She continued to tell them the harder part of the story. She told them how she took Natsuo's words to heart and got a job at a strip club. How Tomoyo tried to convince her to change and go back to school, but she couldn't. How Tomoyo and Eriol tried to get her to bring Natsuo to justice, but saw no reason to. And finally...how Syaoran had found her and saved her.

She finished, sobbing and choking on her words as Toya jumped up, begin to scream at Syaoran again, "D-D-Don't be ma-mad at Sy-Syaoran. He...He r-really did s-s-s-save me..."

"And he put you in the fucking position in the first place!" Toya yelled, finally able to let his rage blow. His face was purple with rage. "If he hadn't fucking well left you – "

"No, Toya," Sakura's red, puffy eyes shot up to her brother, fire growing in her vibrant green eyes. "If _**I **_hadn't taken it so badly and let myself fall for the first guy who told me he loved me, even with my friends warnings. I didn't ask you to come here to blame Syaoran, because none of this is his fault." She paused and turned to Syaoran's sorrowful, regretful eyes and forced a smile. She kissed his jaw and whispered, "It's _not_ your fault."

Syaoran sighed loudly and leaned down, letting his forehead rest against hers.

Sakura closed her eyes, enjoying his closeness. "Toya...I didn't call you here to beat up Syaoran, or to blame Syaoran, or to let you hatred for my husband grow. I called you...and Dad...here today, to...to relieve myself of this guilt I feel. I need your support. Please...please lend my your support."

Sakura didn't even hear Toya get off the sofa, but he did, and he took a seat on the other armrest of her chair. He reached for her hand and waited until Sakura turned to him before he spoke. His eyes were no longer angry, but instead filled with sorrow and confusion and pain for her. His voice came out strained, barely a whisper, "How? How do I support you?"

"My friend, Rika Sasaki, was also tricked my Natsuo," Sakura told him softly. "But he has no record of abuse or...or rape. I'm going to be used as a witness to his violent behaviour. I...I want you and Dad to support me, be there for me."

Sakura had never seen her big brother cry before. So you can imagine her shock when his eyes began to cloud over with water and the tears began to roll down his cheeks. He closed his eyes tightly, clenching his jaw. Sakura gently pulled away from Syaoran slightly and reached a hand up to cradle her brother's face in her hands, using her thumbs to wipe away his tears. She leaned up and kissed his forehead gently. Her eyes were stung too much from the amount of tears she had cried for her to shed anymore tears at the moment.

"Please don't cry, Toya," she pled. "I'm fine now, really."

"The fact that something like this even happened to you to begin with," he choked. "God, Sakura, I never knew...I never..."

"I know," she kissed his forehead again. "But Syaoran saved me, Toya. I'm fine now."

"I couldn't even protect you," he sobbed. "I'm a pathetic excuse of a brother."

"That's enough," she scolded angrily. "Don't say that. You can't protect me all the time. I have to take care of myself. Unfortunately, I was a stupid girl and fell for his lies."

He continued to sob as he let her hold his face in her small hands. Behind her, Syaoran was watching them with a small, sad smile as he gently rubbed Sakura's back soothingly. He knew exactly how Toya felt – as if he could have prevented this, could have protected her, and failed.

After getting his sobs out, he turned his head and kissed one of her palms. He opened his eyes and looked to Syaoran. Though, for once, it wasn't a glare. Instead, it was the look of a broken man. It actually scared Syaoran. Syaoran was never afraid of the man's glare...but this look, this broken, guilty look, definitely scared him. It was so...vulnerable.

"I hate you," Toya growled. And before Sakura could scold him, his lips twitched into a grateful smile. "But...thank you."

Syaoran let his lips lift into a small smile, "I love her. That's the only answer I can give you."

"I..." Toya sighed angrily, his jaw tensing again. "Yes, I see that."

"Daddy?"

All three pairs of eyes turned to the sofa to Fujitaka Kinomoto. His head was in his hands, his elbow on his thigh. His body was shaking with silent sobs, breaking everyone's heart. Sakura gently pulled away from the men on either side of her and went to her father, taking a seat beside him. She reached a hand toward him, but stopped and pulled it away. She made tight fists on her lap and looked down nervously.

"I'm sorry I've disappointed you, Dad," she whispered. "And please don't hate me. I...I just, really wanted you to know..."

She was engulfed in his arms for a tight embrace. He began to cry on her shoulder as he stroked her hair, holding her close. Shocked, Sakura hesitantly wrapped her arms around him and patted his backs soothingly.

"Sakura," he cried softly, "I could _never ever _hate you. And disappointed? No...the only thing close to that is my regret that you felt as though you couldn't come to me for help. That you couldn't turn to me when he violated you like that."

"I...I didn't want to...disappoint you..." she explained, shocked by his words.

He pulled away, "Sakura, you'll always be my little girl. And I'll always want to protect you. The fact that I couldn't..." he shook his head and sighed. "I will admit, I am angry at myself that I couldn't protect you, but it's the past and I can't change the past. The important thing is the here and now. The important thing is that you are now safe, even though I would do anything – give my life – to take away all those years of pain."

"So you'll come to the hearing?" Sakura asked in a timid voice.

He gave her a soft, comforting smile, then leaned in and pressed his lips to her forehead in a fatherly-kiss. "Of course I'll be there. I wouldn't be a good father if I said I wouldn't be there to support you in such a tough time."

Sakura swallowed her tears; her eyes still stung and she didn't want to risk crying again and hurting her eyes more. "Thank you."

Toya and Syaoran got up from their seats and joined the father and daughter on the couch. Syaoran gently lifted Sakura and sat, then let her sit in his lap so he could hold her. Toya sat on one side, holding one hand while he rested his head on her shoulder while Fujitaka sat on the other and held her other hand, gently caressing it.

The dinner was forgotten in the oven, though no one was in the mood to eat anyway.

They simply sat there for the next hour in silence, all trying to push away the horrible image of Sakura hurt over the years and trying to bring forth the glorious images of her happy, here and now.

It was in that next hour that the small miracle took place. Sakura was nearly asleep, her head on Syaoran's chest, when she felt the small movement. She stiffened, holding her breath as her heartbeat accelerated. Then, she felt it again. She jolted up, sitting up properly, alerting and panicking the three men. She didn't seem to care though, her eyes glued to her stomach. She waited...and waited...and then it was there again. She jumped up to stand in front of Syaoran, her hands on her stomach, her eyes wide and amazed.

"Sakura?" Syaoran asked, worried. "Sakura, baby, what's wrong?"

She grabbed his hand, pulling him forward into a slightly uncomfortable position, and placed his palm on her stomach. Syaoran frowned in confusion, about to ask her what was wrong again, when he felt it. The slight movement. His eyes widened, his gaze shooting down to her stomach. He literally shot up from the couch and placed both of his hands on her stomach, a slow grin coming across his face.

The baby had kicked.

It was as if the baby had listened to Syaoran's words the previous morning – _"Give your mom some support today, 'kay? She's going to need it. Take care of her, like I know you will." _As if he had listened, he kicked, giving the soon-to-be parents joy and comfort.

It was almost as if he were saying _"I'm here."

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**Author's Note: Quick apology to Shadow-chan...sorry sweetie, I was dying to get this up and I don't know if I'll be able to get on this weekend.**

**DOUBLE THE LENGTH CHAPTER!!! WHOO! **

**Okay...quick note to everyone!!! PLEASE READ!! --- 'Tomoyo'-chan has posted a new story and it's FREAKIN AWESOME! Please look up the author '_YamiNoTomoyo_' and check out her new story "The Most Succulent Apple****"...it's Eriol/Tomoyo, but my GOD...it's freakin bloody amazing. And I promise amazing things to come! It's...gonna...be...AWESOME! PLEEEEEEASE go check it out and remember to review :D**

**THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO REVIEWED!!!! You guys are amazing!! Thanks so much!!**

**Lastly, I've created a LiveJournal and I've posted the link on my profile. Whether you have LJ or not, please check it out. I have some ideas posted on there...along with the co-authored ones I'm working on; one with _YamiNoTomoyo_ and the other with _swallowingtears_. Also, check out the poll on my profile...it's an idea I'm musing over...**

**Please leave a review :) Pweeeze?**

**xox, Riva**

_Next Chappie...! I think we need some fluff and some lighter stuff...So how about time to prepare for the baby?_


	17. Chapter 17

**Her Rising Saviour:**

_Chapter seventeen – preparing_

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Sakura was just a little over seven months along now. Her lamaze class had been done long ago, seeing as it was only a twelve week course. She did, however, still see Kaho Mizuki every once in a while, just to sit and talk about whatever concerns she may have, or just to have some girl-talk. Kaho was a very insightful woman. She was also going to doctor appointments bi-weekly now, even though she had been told she needn't go so frequently. Now she was just paranoid; better safe than sorry.

Syaoran worked most of the time these days, often coming home frustrated. He was getting absolutely no where in the Hamada case. When he'd come home like this – which was most days – Sakura was always there for him. Sometimes, she'd stay up late waiting for him, then she'd pull out a movie and they'd cuddle close on the couch. If he came home early, she'd make a nice dinner – usually, one of his favourite dishes – and simply listen to his day, knowing that he needed to rant it off. If he wasn't in a talking mood, sometimes he'd just pull her toward the bedroom and they'd lie down together in silence, usually with his head resting above her heart and his hand on her fairly large stomach.

And, of course, if the day wasn't too bad, and Syaoran didn't need the comfortable silence, sex almost always came into play.

Sakura wasn't working too often these days, only three days a week instead of the usual five to six. This was due to the woman being trained to take over her job so Sakura could have a maternity leave. Most of her days off were spent with Tomoyo, either shopping for baby clothes – now that they knew the gender, Tomoyo was all over this – or at Tomoyo's office.

Today was one of Syaoran's few days off, and Sakura woke up with a grin. She hadn't slept in much today, finding herself too excited with the plans they had made. She shifted slightly so not to wake her husband – Syaoran's head was on her chest, him having fallen asleep this way after a rough day at work, rougher than usual, so this was a difficult task – and looked over to the alarm clock. It was only eight. Gently, careful not to disturb him, she shifted out from underneath him. He gave a small mew of protest, but besides that, he didn't stir.

Sakura went straight to the kitchen and began pulling out ingredients for breakfast, wanting to surprise Syaoran. Lately, due to his crazy work hours, she hadn't had time to make him anything. It upset her, in a way, because here she was spending most days at home and couldn't even make him breakfast. Sometimes this was simply because he was nice enough to let her sleep in, other times it was because he left too early. In fact, they hadn't even had their usual morning showers together for nearly a week.

So, she decided to make Syaoran's favourite breakfast, usually only saved for special occasions; chocolate waffles. She quickly mixed the proper ingredients in the bowl and added enough cocoa for a superb chocolaty taste, and carefully poured the mix into the waffle iron. While those cooked, she grabbed the box of fresh strawberries from the fridge and melted some dark Belgium chocolate. She dipped four strawberries into the chocolate and placed them into the fridge to let the chocolate harden. Lastly, once the waffles were done, she topped them with strawberry jam and placed the chocolate covered strawberries on the plate beside them. She made some quick coffee and placed the mug on a tray along with the plate of food and cutlery, then made her way carefully back to the bedroom, careful not to trip over anything or lose her footing. She had learned that since her stomach had been growing so big, it was also growing more difficult to see her feet, making it easier for her to trip.

In the bedroom, Sakura paused in the doorway to watch Syaoran for a moment. He had tossed onto his side, holding Sakura's pillow close to him with his nose buried in it. She stifled a small giggle at the way his eyebrows were hitched together and could almost imagine the pout on his lips. She crawled onto the bed and set the tray beside her carefully on the mattress, then began trailing kisses along his tense face.

Slowly, his face softened and relaxed beneath her ministrations and a small smile played across his lips. "Hmm...much better than that damn alarm."

Sakura smiled against his cheek, "I'm glad you think so." He turned his face toward her, his eyes still closed, and puckered his lips. She smiled and leaned down to kiss him passionately, then grinned and pulled away to pick up the tray. She smiled widely when his eyes opened and caught sight of the food, his eyes growing to the side of saucers. She couldn't help it, she blushed slightly. "I made you breakfast."

Syaoran grinned and bolted up into a sitting position, resting his back against the headboard as the blankets pooled around his waist. Sakura grimaced as she realized that he had fallen asleep still in his dress pants and, now wrinkled, white green down shirt. Though she was slightly relieved that he had at least removed his tie.

Not a second after the tray was in his lap, Syaoran picked up the fork and knife and dug in. He cut away a large piece of the fluffy waffle and brought it to his mouth, his eyes fluttering closed in contentment. He began moaning loudly, "My _god _Sakura...Damn, these are amazing!"

Sakura grinned happily, "I'm glad. I know how much you like them."

"I fucking love 'em," he corrected with another mouthful.

She wanted to correct him for his language, but couldn't with the large grin on her own face, pleased that he was enjoying them so much. Then again, he'd been stuck with cereal unless he had time to stop at a cafe on his way to work, and even then it'd be a plain muffin or bagel, having no time for toasting. This had to be one hell of a treat by now.

Syaoran took a few more bites, finishing off the first of the two waffles, when he stopped and suddenly frowned. He looked to Sakura, then her lap, and then his frown grew. He suddenly felt like a gluttonous pig for not realizing anything before. "Aren't you going to eat?"

"Not hungry," Sakura shook her head, too content in just watching him.

"Sakura..." he said in a warning tone. "You have to eat."

"But I'm not hungry right now," she told him again. When he sent her a disapproving look, she quickly reassured him, "I'll get something in an hour or so, I promise. When I'm hungry, I'll eat."

Syaoran frowned and looked back at his food. He knew he wouldn't feel comfortable eating, now that he knew that she wasn't. So he picked up one of his chocolate-covered strawberries and held it up close to her lips. "At least eat _one _strawberry? Please? Just to set me at ease?"

She gave a small sigh, then opened her mouth willingly, her eyes locked on Syaoran. A glint appeared in her eyes as he brought the berry to her mouth and her lips closed tightly around it. The same glint from her eyes suddenly sparked in Syaoran's as she began to suckle the berry, her tongue licking off the chocolate. With a soft, sensual moan, she closed her eyes and turned her head slightly for better access. Immediately after this, Syaoran gave a low groan himself, feeling himself harden already.

"Sakura," he groaned huskily, as if warning her, "you're killing me here."

Having pity on him, she bit the luscious strawberry, slowly chewed it, then swallowed before opening her eyes. His already darkened eyes were now almost black with lust, his nostrils flaring with want. He dropped the tray of food to the floor and before it hit the ground, his arms were already wrapped around Sakura and pulling her down onto the bed beneath him. His lips attacked hers, their moans and harsh breathing echoing through the air around them. When they needed to breathe, he moved his lips down her throat, yanking off her clothes as he went. Sakura was also quickly removing his clothes, desperate to feel him and be one with him.

And although this lovemaking was not slow and sensual, it was passionate and still, nevertheless, lovemaking.

The perfect way to stay their morning.

After a quick shower to clean themselves up, Syaoran brought the now cold tray of waffles into the kitchen. He had changed into a clean pair of sleeping pants and had decided to go shirtless due to their plans for the day. He set them on the counter and leaned his elbow on it, quickly finishing them with a large dopey grin on his face. After placing the dirty dishes into the sink, he picked up his mug to pour himself some more coffee and turned, leaning his back against the counter to see Sakura also entering the room, wearing a pair of Syaoran's boxers and a thin, white tank top. The same grin Syaoran wore was also on her face. He finished his coffee in one swallow, then opened his arms for Sakura. She went over to him and fell into his embrace, letting him sway them slightly as he kissed the top of her head.

It was rare for both Sakura and Syaoran to be off on the same day lately, and they wanted to take advantage of the situation. So the plan was to get the baby stuff and nursery set up. They had gone shopping together two weeks ago during their last day off together and had picked out the furniture and paint colours they wanted. Sakura and Tomoyo had picked up the smaller things and paint the previous day and the larger stuff, such as furniture, had been delivered during the previous evening. The boxes were now sitting in the living room.

"Shall we paint the room first?" Syaoran asked, smiling down to his wife. "That way the paint as time to dry, and in-between coats we put together some of the things in the living room."

Sakura smiled, "That sounds like a good id – HEY! Syaoran! Put me down!" She squealed as Syaoran picked her up and threw her over his shoulder, her fists beating his back. He simply held her legs tighter, making sure she didn't fall, as he made way to the bedroom that was once, shortly, Sakura's.

He gently put her down in the centre of the room. Sakura 's footing staggered a bit as she giggled, shaking her head. Syaoran made sure she wouldn't fall, then turned his attention to the cans of pain, rollers, brushes and paint tray in the corner. The beautiful wooden floor was already covered with a thick sheet of plastic. He opened a can and poured the beautiful pastel yellow paint into the tray. The colour was perfect – warm and friendly, inviting.

"If you can start painting along the edges, I can begin with filling in the rest," Syaoran suggested as he handed Sakura the open can of paint and a brush.

Sakura gladly accepted her duty and dipped her brush into the yellow paint. She was about to get to work when her gaze caught sight of Syaoran as he began to roll the paint onto the wall. His back and arm muscles were rippling slightly from the pressure he was using to make sure the paint got on evenly. She bit her lower lip to stop herself from moaning and shook her head out of her daze. She turned her attention back to the door-frame and painted around it.

An hour later, both Sakura and Syaoran were finishing up, both rolling paint onto the walls by this point as the outlining had been done nearly forty minutes ago.

Sakura sighed as she finished her wall and turned to see Syaoran nearly done his. A small smile appeared on her face as she watched him work, his muscles still contracting and flexing with each stroke. All she wanted to do was grab him and shove him onto the ground, and lick him all over, and... She was so lost in her daze that she didn't even realize he had turned around until he spoke up.

"Like what you see?" He asked smugly, smirking.

Sakura blushed softly at getting caught, then also smirked and strode over to him. She pressed herself against him as much as her stomach would allow and wrapped her arms around his neck, playing with the hair at the base of his skull.

"I like very much what I see, Mr. Li," she admitted, then leaned in to kiss his chest.

Syaoran growled as her lips moved over his chest, his eyes closing at the soft, yet pleasurable, sensation.

Sakura kept up her ministrations, but looked up through her eyelashes to see his eyes closed. A smile stretched across her lips as her hands reached down for the paint roller still in his hand. In one swift movement, she snatched it from him and jumped back from their embrace. She smirked as his eyes sho t open, but before he could say anything, she ran the roller down his chest, leaving a trail of pastel yellow paint along his smooth tanned skin.

Syaoran gasped and jumped back slightly, nearly bumping into the wet wall behind him. When he heard Sakura giggling uncontrollably, his eyes flew up to her and narrowed on her. That only caused her to laugh harder.

"You think this is funny?" He tried to say sternly. She only nodded, unable to speak through her laughter. He took a step closer to her, trying to be intimidating, "You think this is _funny_, Mrs. Li?"

"Duh!" Sakura sputtered through her laughter.

Syaoran grinned wickedly, "Wrong answer, darling."

He playfully grabbed her arms, careful not to hurt her, and heard her shocked intake of breath just before he spun her around and pushed her back against the wall – into the newly pained _wet _wall.

"Syaoran!" She scoffed. "My shirt!"

"Should've thought of that _before_ you painted me," he teased. "It'll wash out, but if you're so worried about it..."

He kept her pinned against the wall by pressing himself against her – carefully, of course, so not to harm the baby – and lifted her shirt over her head and tossed it onto the plastic covered floor. He grinned at her, realizing that she hadn't worn a bra. He bent down and gently kissed the top of one of her breasts. He felt her shudder and grinned, only inches away from her skin. He could feel her tremble as his warm breath rolled onto her skin, "Now, my dear beautiful wife, we are even."

"Hardly," Sakura scoffed, trying to stop the excited waver from showing in her voice. She heard Syaoran growl softly and gasped when she felt him engulf the tiny pink bud on her breast. She arced away from the wall as much as she could, consider his hands were firmly on her hips to keep her in place, shoving her chest closer to his mouth. Then she wrapped her arms around his hips and ground her warm core into his growing arousal. He groaned loudly and gently scraped his teeth against her peak, making Sakura whimper.

Her hands entangled themselves in his hair, "Sy...Syaoran. W-We've got to stop..."

"No we don't," he growled, biting her gently again.

Sakura gasped, her hands tightening themselves in his hair. "Y-Yes we do. This room is going to b – _ah!_" She moaned as he pulled her hips into him. Her eyes fluttered close as she tried to regain her reason to stop again. Why? Oh, right... "Syaoran, this room is for the baby. We can't...Not in here, please."

Syaoran stiffened, letting her words settle in. After a moment, he groaned, knowing she was right, and pulled away from her, gently lowering her back onto the floor. Sakura wavered slightly, then craned her neck to look at her back. She gave a small groan at the paint marks made from the wall.

"Hey, don't complain," Syaoran scolded as he pointed to his chest. "This has already dried!"

Twenty minutes later, one shower later and another round of shower-sex, they were cleaned up and Syaoran was back in the bedroom to touch up the wall. Sakura immediately went for the living room and began pulling apart the box of crib parts, reading through instructions.

By the time evening arrived, the room was fully painted and furnished and everything else ordered such as bassinets for their bedroom and the living room – was set up. The room was beautiful; Tomoyo would definitely approve. The furniture was wood painted white, giving the room a soft look against the pastel yellow walls. The bedding was a soft sky-blue decorated with fingerprint size yellow polka-dots. The blanket was fleece and trimmed with sky-blue silk.

Sakura collapsed onto the couch, exhausted. Her head fell back onto the couch and her eyes closed. She felt the couch move beside her as Syaoran, too, sat down. She smiled when she felt his head fall into her lap with a loud sigh. She opened her eyes and began dragging her fingers through his hair. He looked up at her and smiled.

"Tired?" He asked.

She giggled and nodded, "Yes. Pooched." She paused and looked up to the time, then back at him, "Hungry? I'm too tired to make some big, extravagant dinner...How about just some pasta? Simple and quick."

"Hmm, sounds good," he closed his eyes and smiled. He felt her shift beneath him, her hand pulling away from his hair, but he grabbed her arm and stopped her. "Can we just...stay here for a moment? Just for a couple of minutes."

Sakura smiled and sat back again, her hand going back to his hair. She smiled as she heard him sigh in contentment. She hummed softly, closing her eyes as well, simply happy to be sitting there with Syaoran. After a moment, she felt his head turn in his lap and his lips press to her stomach. She smiled, continuing to hum. His hand came up to caress her baby bump, his lips pursed against her shirt-covered stomach.

"You know," Syaoran mused after a moment, making Sakura pause her sweet humming. He opened his eyes to meet her gaze and smiled softly to her, "We should probably start thinking of a name."

Her eyes widened slightly. She hadn't even thought of a name really all that much. Granted, Tomoyo and her had bought a baby name book, but she hadn't gone through it yet. She had been stressing over getting the apartment ready and taking care of Syaoran to even consider picking out a name yet.

She offered a smile, "I think we should...Here, get off me for a second? I bought a book the other day."

She made to get up but Syaoran stopped her again. He smiled sheepishly to her, "Actually, I found that book a few nights ago. I had woken up and didn't want to wake you, so I went to the kitchen to get myself something to eat. You left it on the counter."

She made a small 'oh' with her mouth and smiled. "Did you find any names you liked?"

He gave another sheepish smile and nodded against her lap, "Kazumasa."

"Kazumasa..." she mused with a small smile. "Peaceful and righteous. Hoping that he'll go into law when he grows up like his daddy?" She joked.

He chuckled and shook his head, "No, he'll be whatever he wants to be. If he wants to be a ballerina, then my god, he can be a freakin' ballerina."

Sakura laughed, "You're kidding, right? You'd let your son become a ballerina? Wearing tutus and leotards?"

"All I'm saying is I won't stop him from being whatever he wants to," he explained, scowling at her laughs. He smiled and shook his head, "But you strayed me from the point...I liked the name because of what it meant. Peaceful and righteous. Peaceful, simply for what it is. I mean, honestly, I was a horrible child, always picking fights and what not. Not a good temper. I don't want him to be like that. He can have your attitude and that'd be great. As for righteous..." he sighed, "After all this we're going through with Hamada, our son will definitely be raised polite and respectful to women. Righteous. Just."

A large grin spread across Sakura's face. Unable to bend, she curled her finger in a 'come hither' motion. Syaoran sat up, a small smile across his face to hide his confusion. She crushed her lips to his, holding his face between her hands and tilting her head for better access.

When they pulled away, and wrapped her arms around his chest and rested her face in the crook of his neck, grinning against his skin. "I really like that name, Syaoran. _Kazumasa Li_...has nice ring to it, doesn't it? Kaz for short." She grinned, "Yes, definitely like that name."

Syaoran chuckled and shifted her to his lap. She shifted, hesitant on the weight she was putting on his legs, but he simply held her tighter as if reading her mind. Really, she had only gained ten to twelve pounds, which was under weight for seven months though Dr. Terada had promised them that the baby was healthy and striving.

"Well," Syaoran sighed, resting his chin on her shoulder, "we have time to still decide. We don't have to pick a name right here and now."

"No, no...I like Kazumasa," she told him.

Syaoran chuckled and held her closer, sighing softly and closing his eyes. Sakura, herself, relaxed into his chest and closed her eyes as well, drawing lazy circles on his thigh. Ten minutes later, they were both asleep, both dreaming of their little boy on the way.

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**Author's Note: ACK!! My complete fault for the few days lateness. School is getting RIDICULOUS with exams coming up -.-'' Anyone else hitting that wonderous time of year?? I loooath it .'' But I won't stop updating....ooh no, not this close to the end XD I'd say...three more chapters? And an epilogue. **

**MY GOD! Thank you SO much to Shadow-chan (xXxShining ShadowxXx) for that SUPER quick edit!! Less than a day O_O I know...amazing. I'd send you a kitten if I could LOL**

**AND AMAZING NEWS!!! Has anyone ever read any writing by "xXxCherryBlossomxXx"? Or her story "Ichidou: Ray of Hope"? If you have, and you've seen her notice posted, then you'll know I'll be taking over her story :D I'm actually excited...I have a lot of ideas for it and she's approved them all, including my lemoney twists ^.- I'll be posting the first chapter to that...and "Maneuver"s first chappie...soon!! **

**I hope you'll read them both ^.^ I'm excited about them.**

**PLEASE REVIEW!!**

**Lastly, keep an eye out on my LiveJournal page (link of profile)...I post random sneak peaks sometimes (like for this chapter, as it was late).**

**xox, Riva**

_Next Chappie... NOOO! Natsuo's taken it too far for the last time, and Syaoran...snaps? Maybe? Crap, nothing good can come out of that._


	18. Chapter 18

**Her Rising Savour:**

_Chapter Eighteen – fired_

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It was three weeks before the trial. Four weeks exactly before Sakura's due date. Syaoran had fought for the trial's date to be moved, either for a few weeks earlier or a month or so after Sakura's due date, but his pleas had gone unheard. But it was still a week between the two, so hopefully Sakura wouldn't stress too much. Today, he was sitting in his office, going over papers for the case. If anyone was to look at the case he'd supposedly built, it would seem a solid case. But he knew better. There was plenty of holes, making is so that Hamada had no way of winning what so ever.

In front of him sat Natsuo, appearing terribly bored. He was slouched in his seat looking up at the ceiling wit h this hands folded on top of his stomach.

"Are we almost done here?" The man whined.

Syaoran clenched his jaw. "Yes, we're almost done for today."

Natsuo gave a loud, annoyed groan and threw his head back against the chair. "So," he sounded bored and curious at the same time. You could almost hear the smirk in his voice, "When's the wifey due?"

Syaoran's hold on his pen tightened extensively. Natsuo _had _been good, as in keeping his mouth shut about Sakura since she had slapped him. So why now?! "I asked you not to speak of her."

"Just asking," he shrugged. "Haven't really seen her around the office lately. She must be huge by now."

"She's of no concern to you," Syaoran snarled.

"A man can be curious," Natsuo sighed. He sat back up, smirking slightly, and watched Syaoran go back to work for a bit, and then... "So now that she's preg-o, does that mean she's a better fuck? Like they show on those porn movies?"

He barely had the past few words out before he was on the floor, his hand rubbing his throbbing cheek. Above him, Syaoran stood, his hand still balled up in a tight shaking fist. His breathing was harsh, his eyes dark and angry.

"Talk about her one more fucking time, Hamada, and I'll bash your fucking skull in! Understand me _this _time, asshole?!"

"_**LI!**_ "

Syaoran froze and looked up to see Kenji Nakamura standing in the doorway, his face livid and purple. He was, by far, not pleased. With each passing second his face grew angrier and angrier. Syaoran cussed under his breath.

"Li. My office. _Now!_" Kenji growled angrily, obviously working hard to keep his voice level.

Syaor an glared at Kenji for a moment, then back to Natsuo. Natsuo was wearing a large smirk, making Syaoran want nothing more than to beat the crap out of him. Kenji called him again, his voice louder, and Syaoran followed him out. He did, however, pull the childish move of making sure that when he walked around Natsuo his foot just happened to kick his face.

"Opps," he smirked to himself as Natsuo yelped.

Kenji slammed the office door behind them and locked the door, then spun around to face Syaoran. His face, Syaoran was afraid to realize, was still coloured in rage.

"What the hell was that stunt?!" Kenji barked. Syaoran opened his mouth but the man cut him off, "No, there _is __**no **_excuse for that crap you pulled back there! What the hell were you thinking?! Hitting a client!"

"Sir, you don't understand – " Syaoran tried to explain.

"No, Li, there's nothing _to _understand." Kenji sighed angrily and pinched the bridge of his nose between his forefinger and thumb. "Mr. Hamada has been telling me he didn't think you were taking his case seriously. That he thought you weren't trying, but I assured him that you were..." he pulled back his hand from his nose and glared at Syaoran. "I ought to fire your sorry ass right here and now."

Syaoran felt himself straighten up. No, not now...The baby was due in a months time! He couldn't lost his job now! Imagine the stress it would but Sakura in.

He groaned internally; _Crap, Sakura... _She was going to be madder than stink at his reaction to Hamada's words.

"I'm not going to," Kenji growled, "only because you're one of my best lawyers. But, you're off this case. And don't expect any of the larger cases for a while. Now get your ass out of my office and out of this building. Understood?"

Syaoran didn't say anything. He simply slipped out of the office and began to walk down the hall, his hands deep in his pockets. He wore the look of fury on his face, angry beyond words. He gave a polite nod to the new secretary on duty and went straight to the elevator. No way in hell was he going back to his office to retrieve his suitcase. He'd just ask Eriol to bring it by after work.

As if on cue, as Syaoran clicked the down-arrow button on the elevator to call it up, Eriol called out for him. He turned to see Eriol walking Rika to the elevator, his eyebrows furrowed.

Syaoran smiled to Rika and she smiled back. She was holding a sleeping four-month-old Hayate in her arms, gently bouncing him to keep him resting. Rika wrapped an arm around Syaoran in a friendly hug, careful not to disturb her son.

"Just came by to finish off some things with Eriol," she told him as she saw his questioning eyes. "How's Sakura doing? I haven't spoken to her for the past few days...Been too busy with planning the wedding, you know?"

Syaoran smiled and nodded, completely understanding. Her and Yoshiyuki planned on getting married the next summer. They had less than a year to plan it all.

"She's fine, thanks. I wish that she'd rest more, but, of course, she won't listen to me," Syaoran joked. He smiled as the baby gave a little moan, obviously stirring. Rika gently rocked him, cooing to him to sleep more. "Motherhood suits you well. Hayate is good then?"

Rika grinned, "Perfect. But, it's past his nap time so the poor little guy is pooched."

"Sakura would have gladly babysat him if she had known you needed to come here," Syaoran offered.

"No, no," Rika shook her head, "Like you said, Sakura should be resting right now." She paused as the elevator door dinged opened. She smiled to the two men, "I should get him into bed. Um, Eriol, see you in two weeks then? Just to clarify everything. Yoshi will be with me next time."

Eriol nodded, "Yes, I just want to make sure everything is in order and right for the last time."

She nodded back and smiled to Syaoran, "Send my regard to Sakura. Maybe I'll phone her tomorrow...Chiharu has tomorrow off, so maybe the the three of us can go out?"

Syaoran smiled, "She'd like that." Rika walked into the elevator and he made to follow when Eriol grabbed his shoulder and stopped him. The elevator left without him.

"Okay, what happened?" Eriol asked, crossing his arms across his chest.

Syaoran sighed angrily and ran a shaky hand through his hair. "I lost my temper, okay? Hamada got to me and I just...snapped. Nakamura just happened to walk in at that moment and saw what I had done."

Eriol's eyes turned dark with anger, though not toward Syaoran. He ground out, "Go on."

"I'm off the case."

Eriol's eyes widened. "No...No, no!" He growled and balled his fists, "No! Fuck!"

"There's no way Hamada can win even without me working his case," Syaoran assured him. "No lawyer, no matter how good, can build up a winning case within three weeks. Besides, there's too much evidence working against him."

"Yes, I know that, but now Rika and Sakura will be stressing even more," Eriol growled. He ran his hands through his hair a few times, then exhaled sharply, "You going home then?"

"I was told to, so, yeah," Syaoran grumbled. "Sakura's going to be ticked..." he sighed, "Can you bring my suitcase by the house after work? I don't really want to go back there right now."

"Yeah, no problem," Eriol shrugged. He watched as Syaoran clicked the elevator button again and waited for its arrival. Once inside and the doors shut, Eriol sighed angrily and turned back to work.

He wanted nothing more than to punch the bastard himself, but smiled at the thought of Syaoran finally getting a shot in.

**b.K.d**

Sakura was starting to get a tad frustrated with being pregnant. For one, the other day her feet had started to swell and it hurt to walk around too much. She found herself forced to sit quite often, which irritated her. She wanted to be able to work and clean and get around the house normal. And, of course, she hadn't told Syaoran this development. She knew it was normal and to be expected, and didn't want him fretting over her.

Next, she had realized she could no longer clean and cook as much as she liked. Not just because of her feet, but because of her size. She couldn't wash the floor because it'd hurt her back from bending over even in the slightest. She couldn't bend down for the needed pots for cooking either. She had actually once fallen asleep while baking a batch of cookies. Luckily, she had woken up before they caught fire and had managed to rid the charred scent of them before Syaoran got home. Again, no use in worrying him.

Right now, she was currently debating if she wanted to get off the couch or not. She had just finished watching a movie special that had been on TV and there was nothing else on. So she now had a choice. She could either; one, stay where she was, or two, get up to put in a movie.

After ten minutes of mental debate, she gave a loud groan. She placed her hands palm-down on the couch and forced herself to stand. That took a bit in itself, as it was difficult. Once up, she wavered for a second before making her way to the entertainment centre. She picked out _'Dances with Wolves'_ and was about to pop it in when she paused and looked up at the clock. She sighed sadly, realizing Syaoran wouldn't be home for a few more hours. The days without him were long and lonely.

She looked back at the clock, and then the movie in her hand. She sighed and put the movie on the coffee table as she passed it, making her way to the bedroom. She'd watch the movie later. But right now, she wanted a shower instead. She grabbed her slippers and housecoat, then went to the bathroom and turned on the shower. Normally, she'd take a nice long soak in the bath instead, but she just wanted a quick shower so she could watch her movie.

She shed her clothes – comfy yoga pants and one of Syaoran's sweaters – and slipped into the shower. The warm water cascaded down her body, making her sigh in contentment and a lazy smile spread across her face. Yes, this is _just _what she needed. She giggled as she felt a small kick in her abdomen. Her hands rubbed over her stomach, grinning. Apparently, this is what the baby wanted as well.

She turned around and wet her hair, then began lathering shampoo into it. She closed her eyes and began to hum happily to a tune she ha d heard on the radio. She was almost ready to rinse her hair when she felt a pair of strong arms encircle her waist and pull her to a naked torso. She squeaked, tensing with wide eyes. A nose skimmed over her shoulder, a sigh coming from the man's lips. Her heart thudded in her chest loudly.

"I've missed you," said a soft voice.

Sakura felt herself ease, then frown in confusion. "Syaoran?"

He held her closer and nodded against her shoulder, "Who else?"

Sakura sighed softly and turned around in Syaoran's arms. She pressed up on her toes to touch her lips to his. She felt the hesitance in the way his lips moved and frowned slightly, pulling away. His eyes seemed weary and worn, as if he hadn't slept in ages. Or, at least, as if he was worn out from a hard day at work. She rubbed his arms, trying to ease his tense muscles.

"What's wrong?" She asked softly.

He looked away, and she immediately recognized the emotion as shame. "I'm...sorry."

Sakura frowned, "For?"

"I've been taken off the case."

Sakura's eyes widened and she felt herself stiffen as well. Her hands on his arms stopped and she could see him tensing again. The only sound audible was the sound of the water coming down, hitting their skin and the shower's porcelain floor.

"What?" She whispered, shocked though not angry. "How?"

He closed his eyes and tried to back away from Sakura but she tightened her hold on his arms to stop him. He sighed angrily and closed his eyes, his hands clenching into fists. "Hamada....said something, and I let it get to me." His next words were a whisper, almost too quiet to hear over the rushing water, "I'm sorry."

Sakura understood what he was saying, what he meant when he said he had let Natsuo's words get to him. That he meant he had taken action. She was silent for three long seconds before she spoke. "I thought I told you not to let what he said get to you?"

"I'm sorry," he whispered again. "I didn't want to disappoint you...Just," he glanced at her, then away with the same shameful look on his face, "Just, how do I ignore him when he's asking about how good of a, quote, 'fuck', you are?"

Sakura heard the way he harshly snarled out the last words and her eyes grew even more sympathetic than they already were. She took a step closer and wrapped her arms around him, holding him close. She frowned when she didn't feel him return the gesture and pulled her head back away from his chest. She placed a hand on his cheek, her thumb gliding over the spot under his eye.

"Syaoran, I could never be disappointed and I'm certainly not angry with you," she told him. "I'm not your mother. I'm your wife. I'm not going to go nagging you and reprimanding you because you're an adult. You can make your own decisions. I just don't want you to be disappointed with yourself."

"I'm not," he admitted, then chuckled without emotion, "It felt good, just," he sighed again and leaned into her touch, "you had told me not to let whatever he says to me get to me, and I did. I knew he was saying it to get under my skin, and I let it anyway."

Sakura gave him a soft smile and gently used her hand to turn his head to look down at her. His eyes were still weary, still tiresome. She pressed herself against him and kissed a trail along his jaw, feeling his arms encircling her finally. His fingers danced up along her spine in a comforting, soothing motion.

"Well," she mumbled against his jaw, "that just means I won't be home alone anymore, right?"

He chuckled and nodded, pulling her closer to him, "Yes, I suppose that'd be right."

"Good," she pulled back and grinned, "I was beginning to hate being by myself so much. Tomoyo's into her busy season at work, and Chiharu seems to be...preoccupied with Takashi..."

Syaoran choked-laughed and Sakura smiled. She pressed a kiss to his nose. "So, you're okay now?"

He sighed, "Not really, but...yeah, I'll be fine."

She grinned, "Good, now, get out of my shower and let me finish!"

Syaoran chuckled, holding up his hands in surrender as she began gently beating his chest. He got out of the shower and grabbed a towel from the rack, slowly drying himself off as he watched Sakura's outline through the glass door put conditioner in her hair. He wrapped the towel around his waist and turned to the sink to brush his teeth. He was rinsing his mouth when he heard Sakura groan in frustration and something clink against the glass. He frowned and wandered back to the shower. He rapped his knuckles gently against the door.

"Sakura? You alright?"

"No!" She sounded frustrated. "I'm not!"

"Can I help in some way?" He asked genuinely.

There was a hesitance in her reply. It took her a second to answer him. "No, well, not really...I just...I've been trying to shave for the past few days and I...can't."

"Don't worry about it," he told her, not getting why she was getting so frustrated. Obviously she wouldn't be able to shave her legs properly. "Just come on out and we can go watch a movie, okay? I'll even cook dinner tonight."

"No, I need to shave," she told him. She sighed angrily and he watched, wincing and wanting to stop her, as she bent over to pick up the shaver from the ground. She gave a small moan as she went to stand back up. "Go. I'll be there in a few minutes."

Syaoran sighed and dropped his towel. He opened the door and got back in, noticing that the water was cooling down by now. He shivered slightly, expecting the warmth that was no longer there, and gently took the shaver from Sakura. She frowned at him, opening her mouth to protest, but he stopped her.

"Let me help, please?" He asked softly. "I don't want you hurting yourself."

Sakura blushed, "Y-You don't have to, Syaoran. It's fine."

"No, I don't want you getting hurt," he repeated himself. He reached for the loofah and dosed it with the strawberry-scented body wash Sakura used, then knelt on the ground and gently took Sakura's foot into his hand. He propped her foot on his knee and asked her to hold onto the railing, then began gently scrubbing circles along her leg, leaving behind a trail of soap suds. Then, ever so gently, he ran the shaver along her skin, careful not to nick her. When he was done with her first leg, he did the same to her other.

When he was done the second leg, he placed the shaver onto the ledge and placed both of his hands on her calf, then placed his lips to her skin. He kissed up her leg, putting her foot back onto the floor, until he got to her stomach and pressed a lingering kiss to the very centre of her stomach. After a moment, he stood up, placing both of his hands on her hips and drawing her in for a long, sensual kiss.

"Everything will work out in the end," Sakura whispered against his lips when they had to pull away for breath. She pulled her head back to look him in the eyes and offered a small smile of reassurance, "I know it will."

"How can you always be so optimistic?" He asked, resting his forehead on hers.

Sakura reached over to turn off the water, then brushed her lips to his once more before pulling away to get out of the shower. She grabbed his towel from the ground and wrapped it around his waist, tugging on it to pull him close. She pressed her lips to his, as if unable to get enough of him, and smiled against him, "Someone has to be."

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**Author's Note: Oh, c'mon...you're happy! A quick update to make up for the slow last update. Don't expect another fast update though XDD At least not as fast as this...I just happened to be home sick for the past two days, and today I was awake and alive enough to get some writing done. I mean really, a flu THIS close to the summer -.- Not fair!!**

**AMAZING thanks to my super beta, **_**xXShining ShadowXx**_** who edited this in under an HOUR! O_O Yeah, I know...I was impressed and pleasantly happy ^.^ Love ya sweetie!!**

**Now, I'm off to see if I can keep down some chicken noodle soup -sigh-**

**xox, Riva**

_Next Time... Trail time! O_O duhduhDUH!_


	19. Chapter 19

_**QUICK NOTE!!**_**Honestly, everyone, you HAVE to thank 'Meiling'-chan for this chapter. I was having to many difficulties with it and she took it under her wings. This chapter, has therefore, been co-authored by me and _swallowingtears_. Although, I will admit that most of this was her XDD I don't understand this legal business what so ever! That, and I wasn't expecting to update until after my exams are done...and they only began today. Sooo...again, all Mei-chan!! **

**Thanks hun!!! You're the bestest EVER! Seriously!!! Love ya!**

**Enjoy this extra-long chapter ^.^ And thank you SO much for your patience! I'm sure you all know how hectic and stressful exams can be though -.-'

* * *

**

**Her Rising Saviour:**

_Chapter Nineteen – Trial

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_

"Sakura, please stop," Syaoran practically begged as he reached for her hands to keep her from slowly tearing apart a small piece of paper she had found in her purse, the fragments of it scattered on her knees. He pulled her one hand away from the paper and gave it a gentle squeeze as he brought it up to his lips. "Please sweetheart, you're putting me on edge seeing you so twitchy. After all," and he smiled a little smile, "we're ready for him."

Sakura sighed and looked over to him, her eyes showing her vulnerability. "I can't help it, I'm sorry. I'm just..." she sighed, not knowing how to explain it, and instead leaned over to place her head on Syaoran's shoulder. Syaoran wrapped his arm around her and pulled her near while his other hand kept ahold of hers.

He kissed the top of her head, "I know sweetie, I understand. Just seeing you all twitchy is making _**me**_ twitchy," he chuckled dryly and kissed her head again. "Sakura, I promise you, you have nothing to worry about. This isn't a case against you. It's Rika against _him_. You're simply a witness to his ways, alright? You have nothing to worry about."

Sakura sighed and closed her eyes, resting her free hand on her rounded stomach. She knew Syaoran was right, but she still felt anxious. Sometime today, she'd be called up to the stand to tell her story once more. It had been difficult to tell Eriol and Syaoran, and then her family, but now a whole room? She had thought she could do it, and now – being here – she was having second thoughts.

Sitting beside her on the wooden bench was her own little support group, which consisted of her brother and father. Her father had his hands on her knee, giving her silent support, as he spoke to Touya about his latest dig. Obviously, he was trying to give his daughter and her husband some privacy. In a row in front of them sat Rika's support team – Chiharu and Takashi Yamazaki, an older couple who had been introduced to Sakura as Rika's parents, and Tomoyo. Chiharu held little Hayate in her arms, gently rocking him as he slept. Rika hadn't wanted to bring the baby, but Eriol had insisted and Chiharu had agreed, but promised to leave if he became fussy.

Beyond the gallery, on the other side of the courtroom, were two tables for the defendant and plaintiff and their attorneys. On one side, the side Sakura sat behind, were Rika, Eriol and Yoshiyuki. All three were sitting quietly.

Sitting at the table across the aisle from theirs was Natsuo Hamada and a man Sakura did not recognize from work. She gathered that he worked on another floor but for the firm. He wore a grey suit and purple tie, blending in well with his smoky violet-grey eyes and tea-stain coloured skin as if he were a smoker. He was a larger man, both up and outward, with greying black hair and a moustache streaked with age. His large fingers drummed against the table annoyingly as Hamada kept letting out heavy sighs, his head resting in his hand while his elbow sat on the table top. They both seemed bored.

Eriol looked at them, then glanced at Syaoran. Oh they would nail Syaoran's boss for forcing the case on him; conflict of interest could get the firm's license tangled for years. It was the only time Syaoran had been glad he'd been assigned the case — and since he'd already signed off on the billable hours, and been sent three pointed memos by his boss, Nakamura, he had the evidence to make things nasty. He smiled.

"That's Itsuo Reed," Syaoran whispered in Sakura's ear, watching her gaze linger at the defendant's table. "He's some big shot in the building, works on the floor above us. _Not _under Nakamura. His family has been lawyers for generations, or some crap like that."

Sakura frowned, "I've never heard of him."

Syaoran chuckled, "No offence sweetie, but that's because you're a secretary. You wouldn't have heard of him, especially since you don't work on his floor. But he is some big shot, and the only reason why Hamada wasn't directed to him first was because Hamada's regular lawyer was under Nakamura."

And that, Syaoran thought with satisfaction, was more proof against Hamada. If he could afford to hire Reed to begin with, then his insistence on Syaoran was now ammunition against him. Ethics violations, deliberate causing of grief and anxiety…and if Sakura was willing, she could mention the harassment of Hamada in the office. Syaoran smiled grimly. It had been Tomoyo's idea to check for the tapes of the security cameras in the office — and voila, Hamada's harassment had been caught on tape.

Sakura nodded against his shoulder, her hand rubbing over her stomach; she sighed in exhaustion. She hadn't slept much the night before, and not simply because of her rattled nerves but also because the baby had been kicking more then usual. Not that it hurt, but it had worried her and was slightly uncomfortable for when she was trying to fall asleep. And, of course, since she had been awake most of the night, so had Syaoran. She had tried to make him sleep, but he had, of course, stayed awake with her and had refused any sleep. All through this morning, Sakura had had to be careful not to stare at his eyes too long. Or else she'd see the redness in them and she knew that then she'd try and convince them both to stay home so he could get some rest.

Suddenly, a door opened and Sakura's eyes snapped open in time to see the judge enter the room. A bailiff near the wall spoke and everyone stood. Syaoran took Sakura's hand and helped her up, watching her with a frown as she heaved herself upward with such a struggle only to have to sit back down immediately after the judge sat down seconds later. The doctor had said that for a small girl, Sakura was having a large boy—he was at least nine pounds, the doctor said in wonderment. Hence the trouble Sakura was having with her pregnancy. Once everyone sat back down, all chatter ceased. Sakura nestled back into Syaoran's side and Yoshiyuki patted Rika's hand before joining Chiharu in the gallery. He reached his hands out, silently asking for the baby, and Chiharu placed sleeping Hayate in his arms without a second thought.

The opening went smoothly in Sakura's opinion, but she had never been to a trial before so she tried not to think too much of it. Rika was the first called to the stand by Eriol to give her statement. She raised her hand and gave her oath, then Eriol proceeded.

"Now Miss Sasaki," he began in a professional tone. "I have here that about fourteen months ago, you were impregnated by your boyfriend, is that correct?"

Rika nodded; she would have been wringing her hands together nervously as she normally did except now, she had been thoroughly coached by Syaoran and Eriol on her behaviour. She responded in a firm tone, "Yes."

"Is the man responsible for this present here today?"

"Yes."

 "Can you identify him for us?"

Rika looked over to Natsuo and nodded, "Yes, Natsuo Hamada over there."

"Thank you, Miss Sasaki," Eriol nodded. He paused slightly before continuing. "Now, would you say that yours and Mr. Hamada's relationship was abusive? That he dominated the relationship?"

"Objection your honour," Natsuo's lawyer, Itsuo Reed, stood up and interrupted. "Leading the witness."

"Sustained," the judge said.

Eriol did not permit himself a tiny smile — he'd phrased it that way on purpose. "Allow me to rephrase the question. Can you describe your relationship with Mr Hamada?"

She described an abusive relationship that began with being raped, then being forced to live with Hamada, who told her constantly that she was worthless; then she added how when he had thrown her out upon the discovery of her pregnancy, he had suggested that she work 'until the bump shows' _at Raz._

"Do you think he'd done this to other women before?" Eriol asked.

"Yes," and Rika stared back fiercely at Hamada. "Ask his current girlfriend, Xing Huo."

Reed and Hamada merely sneered at that revelation; Xing Huo was sitting, clad in an expensive designer outfit, in the audience. "I own her," Hamada whispered to Reed.

"You have every confidence in her loyalty?"

"Of course," Hamada smirked.

After Rika returned to her seat, Itsuo called on a bored-looking Natsuo. A routine question, though, drew a smile from Eriol.

"Where do you live?"

"147 Subashi Lane, in Southern Tokyo. With my gorgeous girlfriend Xing Huo, over there," he pointed.

The judge caught Eriol's eye, but Eriol smiled and did not move to strike the irrelevant statement. A few more routine questions, then they went on to the relationship between him and Rika.

His other answers to some questions were quite disturbing.

"Mr Hamada, do you admit to the possibility that Ms Sasaki could have had your child?" 

"We won't know until the DNA tests come in," Hamada said lazily. "After all, I seem to pick whores every time."

Eriol rejoiced inwardly. Now they were getting somewhere. Hamada's arrogance would be his undoing, and he had correctly based an entire prosecution on it. Reed shot his client a glare, and Hamada said, "What? I swore to tell the truth."

"Mr. Hamada, were you and Miss Sasaki prepared for a child?" Itsuo asked.

"No, we were not," Natsuo replied.

"So that means you two were using protection, is this right?"

"Of course," Natsuo agreed. "She was on birth control pills."

"So how is it that Miss Sasaki become with child, Mr. Hamada?" Itsuo pointed out.

Natsuo's mouth twitched at the corner slightly, as if he were trying to stop from smiling. He was looking straight at Rika, who did not flinch. "Well, I honestly don't know how she got pregnant. I know that if you take certain antibiotics the pill won't be affective, and she did have a throat infection a couple of months before claiming she was pregnant..." he paused to gauge everyone's reaction, particularly Rika's wide eyes. "She could have been after my money to tie me down, I suppose. She _had _mentioned marriage to me once or twice before, and each time I told her I did not want to marry her yet. I am after all a rich, powerful, and important man," he gloated.

Yes! Eriol barely kept himself from punching the air in triumph. Just the opening he needed!

The court room immediately began to buzz with protests, including an angry Chiharu who jumped to her feet. Takashi tried to make her sit, but she shook him off.

"That's bull, you prick!" Chiharu screamed. "She never even brought up marriage!"

The judge ordered Chiharu taken out of the court; he was clearly running a tight ship, and he warned the rest of the courtroom that he would not tolerate emotional outbursts from anyone.

During the commotion, Hayate woke up in Yoshiyuki's arms and began to cry. The baby was scared easily, and it was obvious that the loud sounds of the court room was frightening him. Yoshiyuki excused himself and ushered himself with the baby out of the room. Rika's mother followed suit. Chiharu was allowed back in shortly, but only after she was called as a witness.

"What is your relationship to Miss Sasaki?" He began.

"I've been her friend since fourth grade when she moved to the area," Chiharu said. "We're practically like sisters."

"Now you obviously got upset with Mr. Hamada's previous statement. May I ask why?"

"Because Rika never talked about marriage!" She said fairly loudly. "They dated for only a month or so and suddenly they were in bed together! Rika isn't the type of girl to rush into a relationship, but when I asked her why she was with this guy, she couldn't answer me. She was clearly scared of something. Also, that Hamada guy refused to let her see her friends; you can ask everyone at the Carrot Café, where we've met once a month since college. When she was with Hamada, she never showed up."

"How are you so sure Miss Sasaki never asked Mr. Hamada about marriage?" Eriol asked dispassionately.

Chiharu looked down as if ashamed, "I...I once asked Rika, in anger, if she saw this relationship going into the marriage stage. Quite honesty, I didn't approve of the guy and was scared for my friend. That was when she told me she'd never see herself marrying the man. So judging from that comment, I very well can't see her asking him about marriage."

"Thank you, and secondly – You said Miss Sasaki never rushed into relationships, except this one," he began. "What do you think changed with this one?"

Chiharu looked up defiantly, "Quite frankly, I think he persuaded her _some _way."

"Yes, thank you," Eriol nodded. "Now, as her friend, can you please tell me what happened when Miss Sasaki found out she was, indeed, pregnant."

"I took her to the doctor to make sure, since Rika never trusted the pregnancy test we bought. When he gave her the news, she was obviously shocked. She knew there was still a slim chance, even with being on the pill, but didn't think it could really happen I suppose. I took her home and that night she was on my doorstep in tears because that bast – I mean, Hamada had kicked her out of the house. The next morning I found all of her things out on the front lawn of his apartment, ruined from the rain the night before. You can ask all their neighbours. Here," she said, shooting Hamada a triumphant look, "I have a photo," and she waved a photo for all to see. A woman's things were strewed all over the lawn, clearly ruined from the rain."

"I would like that photograph marked as an exhibit," Eriol said.

"Objection!" Reed was on his feet. "Defence should be informed of all evidence and witnesses! Move to strike that as evidence!"

"Mr Hiiragizawa, I will allow this objection. You should know better," the judge said.

"My apologies," Eriol smiled. Reed exchanged looks with Hamada, who was calm.

"It's your job to keep me out of jail," Hamada whispered.

Soon the questioning continued.

"So they were sharing an apartment?"

"Yes, for a month at that point."

Eriol nodded, "Thank you, Miss Mihara. No farther questions."

Eriol went to take his seat as Itsuo stood up and adjusted his glasses. He walked up to Chiharu as the woman glared at him.

"Miss Mihara, was it?" He asked. "You seem fairly close to Miss Sasaki there. Did she ever mention Mr. Hamada beating her? Or forcing himself on her?"

Chiharu's eyes narrowed, "Rika is a _very _quiet girl. She would never speak ill of someone – "

"Yes or no, please, Miss," Itsuo cut her off.

Chiharu ground her jaw, "No, she did not."

"So you simply _presumed _that Mr. Hamada did such an awful thing to your friend. Correct?" He sneered, "After all, my client has no record of any abuse whatsoever."

"That isn't proof," Chiharu sneered back. "Rich men can always buy themselves out of records like that. And what makes you think there's no proof of his abusive ways? Then again, you're paid to act blind," she jeered.

"Move to strike last sentence," Reed said calmly.

The judge leaned over and warned Chiharu about her attitude. "If you want to help your friend, keep your temper, Miss Mihara, or I shall eject you and strike your entire testimony from the record. Unless you want to make sure your friend loses the case, I suggest you shut up and be more respectful."

Chiharu glared at the judge then looked away, deciding to co-operate.

Itsuo's questions continued for another ten or so minutes before Chiharu was allowed to return to her seat. And for the next hour or so, witnesses continued to be called up. Some included Rika's doctor, one of Natsuo's co-workers (who testified about his endless female conquests), and a counsellor who worked with victims of abuse, whose testimony drew startled gasps from the courtroom. Her photographs of Rika's injuries were duly entered as evidence. Yet Reed and Hamada looked incredibly confident.

Eriol stood and cleared his throat for his next witness. "I'd like to call Mrs. Sakura Li to the witness stand."

Sakura tensed even though she knew it was coming. Syaoran slipped his arm off of her and stood up, taking her hands to help her to her feet. Touya and Fujitaka moved out of her way and she took the stand a bit laboriously but confidently.

Eriol went through a folder and picked up three large photos, then moved over to Sakura. His eyes told her she was sorry as he showed her the three photos. Sakura's eyes widened on them and she began to tremble, having to bite her tongue to stop herself from crying—she was ready for this, now was not the time to cry, not when they were ready to nail Hamada. They were three photos of her the morning after Natsuo had raped her. She was asleep, and Tomoyo had removed her shirt to show the bruising along her torso, particularly large bruising around her breasts imprinted in the shape of hands. Another photo showed her face; her cheek bruised, a large hickey on her neck and her lip slit.

"Mrs. Li," Eriol spoke, obviously trying to be gentle in his tone. "For the record, is this you?"

Sakura jerked her head in a nod, "Y-Yes."

"Can you tell us what happened?" Eriol asked as he handed the judge the photos.

Sakura inhaled a shaky breath and went into telling her story. During the whole time, her eyes were locked on Syaoran, and he kept hold of her gaze firmly. For some reason, she felt stronger looking at him. So long as she was, she could tell the story without going hysterical or crying.

Eriol thanked her, and it was Reed's turn. She braced herself mentally.

"Mrs. Li, you say my client did this to you and yet you did not file anything against him," Itsuo began. "Why? Obviously, rape is a crime, so why didn't you file a report against Mr. Hamada?"

"I didn't want to... because I believed that he had told me, about me being worthless. I didn't think there was any reason to."

"Is that so?" Itsuo smirked. He strolled back to his desk and grabbed a folder, then walked back. He handed Sakura the folder and she looked up at him, confused. "Please look through that, Mrs. Li. In there, I have evidence that you worked at the strip-bar called _Raz_. Do you deny working there for four years?"

Sakura stayed calm as she looked through the photos, seeing her dressed in skimpy skirts and sexy bras or even in just mere undergarments. She would be sitting on a man's lap or her tongue would be down a man's throat. She was horrified as to how they even got the photos. Her fingers trembled as she ran her fingers over one particular photo of her grinding herself into a man, his hands firmly on her ass. Her heartbeat was beating wildly, nervously.

"Mrs. Li?" Itsuo spoke up after a few moments of silence.

"No, I don't," she said. "The person who should be ashamed is the one who drove me into working there, knowing full well his family owned it. And I'm not the only one," she smiled at Reed. "Besides," and her smile became wider, "it's his modus operandi — if you ask the stenographer to go back to Rika's testimony…And isn't it a legal tenet that the source of testimony is irrelevant so long as it is truthful? Even if I was a slut or a whore," she got the words out, seeing Syaoran wince from the corner of her eye, "I am telling the truth."

Reed turned back to Sakura, "But really, Mrs. Li, if you were...a _prostitute_, how can we possibly believe your words? In that job, rough sexual intercourse is sometimes expected, am I right?"

"Excuse me," Sakura said frostily, "just because you rented a car doesn't mean you have the right to go slamming it into walls for fun. So unless you're saying that prostitutes have fewer rights than inanimate objects, I suggest you focus on what is on hand here—the trial. And in case you didn't know, prostitutes can be raped too. That a woman sells her favours does not prevent rape from happening to her. Just because something is on sale doesn't mean anyone can take it; you're a lawyer, Mr Reed, so I find your question a bit strange. You do know what theft is, right? To take what isn't yours — and so should a prostitute be blamed if she is raped? We all know," and her eyes swept the court confidently, "how many women are driven into prostitution by need or abuse."

"Mrs. Li," Itsuo brought down his voice only slightly. Loud enough for the courtroom to still hear him, but still slightly quieter. "You do realize that is what you were doing, yes? How could you possibly blame my client for forcing you into that line of work when it was very obviously your decision?"

To his shock, Sakura smiled. "That's what we're proving here: the abusive behaviour of Hamada. My past is irrelevant except when it comes to how Hamada abused me — and in fact, Mr Reed, I'm surprised you want to focus on me being a prostitute, because your client raped me then led me to that bar by convincing me it was what I deserved. After all, the statute of limitations on rape and abuse from him hasn't expired yet — and I can still sue. Plus, you appear to be focusing on my being a prostitute to change the issue. I'm not on trial here, but your client is. But thanks for reminding me about my past — because," and she lifted her chin and stared at Hamada, "I shall be taking him to court for it as well, so that he can pay for his sins."

Reed looked at Hamada, his look saying, _You said she was weak and stupid!_

And at the same time, Sakura was silently gloating inside – _Helps to have a husband for a lawyer, now doesn't it? _She obviously missed Syaoran's own gloating smirk that was slapped on across his face. He didn't think he could be prouder of Sakura when she told Eriol and then her family about what had happened, but now he was. He was amazingly proud of how strong she was being.

Sakura added, "Mr Hamada is an abusive, manipulative man who cannot take any responsibility for his actions because he is at heart nothing but a worthless bully. Everything I've done after what he did to me is an example of how self- destructive a woman can become after abuse. Rika was lucky because she had family and friends who wouldn't let her go, who helped her. Other victims of abuse push themselves away from their very support and isolate themselves. That was me. But the thing is, I no longer wish to be Hamada's victim. And I fully intend to use my history to make sure he goes behind bars and can never hurt other women ever again. If you have a daughter, Mr Reed, I hope Hamada never does to her what he did to me. Assuming you love your daughter, as all good fathers do."

"No further questions," Reed said reluctantly.

"I would like to call on Kanika Kurushi," Eriol said.

"Objection!" Reed called. "We were never informed of this witness!"

"She is under the witness protection programme. Mr Hamada said it earlier: I am a rich powerful man," Eriol said.

Reed shot his client a venomous look; Hamada was beginning to look worried. Although he quickly tried to hide it and leaned over to Reed, "Don't worry. I've never even heard of this chick. It's probably some joke."

That changed when the girl walked into the room, her eyes shifting around nervously as she clung to her tiny handbag. Hamada's face paled slightly when he saw her face; short brown hair, big brown eyes and round classes. This wasn't Kanika Kurushi – this was Naoko Yanagisawa. She had been his first fuck after Sakura.

"Crap," Hamada groaned, catching Reeds attention. "I take that back – I most certainly do recognize her, but she's not Kanika Kurushi. That's Naoko Yanagisawa."

"Objection!" Itsuo demanded, glaring at Eriol. "That girl is Naoko Yanagisawa – not Kanika Kurushi!"

The girl stood at the witness stand, frozen, unable to sit down. Eriol quickly stepped in, "Yes, that _was_ true...but Miss Kurushi is under the protection programme, and therefore, had chosen to change her name to keep hidden from Mr. Hamada over there." He turned back to the stand, offering a soft yet comforting smile, "Would you mind taking a seat, Miss?"

The young woman took a seat, her posture very stiff.

"For the record, do you deny anything I have just said?" Eriol asked, knowing that the court needed to hear from her what the reasons were.

Shaking, she shook her head, "No, it was all true. I...I only came today because the programme promised me new protection."

"So your name will change again?"

"Yes," she said quietly. "I...I'm scared."

Eriol nodded in understanding and continued with the questioning.

It ended up being very obvious why Kanika was in the protection programme. She broke down on the witness stand, and pointed them to links on websites where Hamada had posted videos of them having sex. She said she felt so worthless afterwards, she went to _Raz_ and applied for a job there upon his suggestion. She, however, was told she was too quiet and emotional. She was, luckily, cut loose from the position a week after starting, accused of driving business away with her sad expressions.

"I...I brought some ph-photo's from the site," Kanika said quietly. She went through her purse with shaking hands and pulled out a yellow envelope.

"Objection!" Itsuo growled, standing up from his seat. "That evidence – "

"I did not ask Miss Kurushi to bring anything," Eriol told the judge, swiftly cutting the other lawyer off. "I only asked her for her testimony. She was reluctant to contact me for fear of her _life_, so I think it's understandable why she would have withheld evidence. I submit it now, openly, before the court."

The judge nodded and allowed the evidence to be shown.

Syaoran watched as Eriol continued with a few more questions, feeling sorry for the girl but also silently gloating inside. He had teamed up with Eriol to help find the witnesses, and it had been plenty difficult. Even when they had found them, they had been very hesitant, especially the former known Naoko. She had turned them down at first, and called back a day later claiming that she wanted to help put an end to his vile ways, not wanting other women to go through what she had gone through. Syaoran was shocked that they could find Naoko to begin with, with so little time and all.

Then Eriol called in another surprise witness, earning another objection from Itsuo. Hamada sighed in relief when she walked in, not recognizing her. He leaned over, smirking, "I definitely don't know this bitch. We're safe. Let him call her up."

"Natsuo..." Itsuo growled, "I wouldn't say we're _safe_ anymore, you idiot."

This second woman angrily testified about how her sister had committed suicide after Hamada's abuse — the girl had been distraught, leaving behind a suicide note that said, in part, _'If all I'm good for is to work at Raz, I'd rather die.' _Then she told she court of how Hamada had sneered at her and her husband when they had confronted him about her sister. "One less whore," the woman quoted him, her voice bitter and enraged. "One less whore? But isn't the true whore a man who sleeps with a lot of women then betrays them and abuses them?"

Reed sent Hamada a glare, while he groaned and rested his head in his palm. But he didn't recognize her! Then again...he could only vaguely remember a woman, distraught and angry, coming to his door with her husband, screaming at him about a dead wife. But he had been partying the night before, so how drunk was he in the morning? Not to mention the sexy woman waiting in his bed for him. He had simply wanted them off his doorstep. The girl's death wasn't really his fault. Not his problem.

Or so he thought.

The final witness was, to Hamada and Reed's shock, Xing Huo. She provided medical records, photos, and a file in which Hamada tracked the profits of Raz after each new 'entry' he sent there.

"You bitch! You pretended to like me! You came on to me, you whore, you…"

"Bailiffs, remove this man to the holding cell," the judge said. Reed was desperately trying to calm down his client, but even he knew it was lost. All three witnesses were going to file charges against him, as well as Sakura. Given their evidence, Hamada was as good as lost.

Sakura watched two men dragged Natsuo away, watching him thrash around angrily and screaming at his current girlfriend. She was sobbing into her hands as a man beside her was trying to comfort her, rubbing her back soothingly. When his cold, furious eyes met Sakura, she felt herself stiffen. Time seemed to slow down. He glared at her angrily, mouthing the words _'fuck you, you bitching whore!'_. She pushed herself closer to Syaoran, suddenly feeling like the room was shrinking. The room seemed small, and suddenly, she couldn't get away from her ex fast enough, no where to run.

And that's when the emotion became too much for Sakura. She suddenly felt a tiny pain in her lower abdomen and a sudden gush of wetness was between her thighs.

"Syaoran..." she croaked, her hands flying to her stomach. She heard Natsuo's final protesting scream as the doors shut behind him. Syaoran's eyes were narrowed on the doors, his hold on her tightening in protection, as if he was scared the man would suddenly make another appearance. She spoke up a bit louder, but her voice still sounded strained, "Syaoran..."

Syaoran stiffened and his eyes shot down toward her, his ears ringing with Sakura's shaking voice. He saw her hands clutching her stomach and her wide eyes. He pulled his arm off her and placed both hands on her cheek, looking straight into her frightened eyes. "Sakura? Sakura, sweetheart, what's wrong?"

She tinged pink and looked down pointedly at her skirt. Seeping through the cloth was a small wet spot. She pressed her thighs together, embarrassed. Syaoran's followed her gaze, his eyes immediately widening and danced with excitement.

"Is it...?"

She nodded, smiling sheepishly, "It's time."

* * *

**Author's Note: Like I said above, you all seriously need to thank _swallowingtears _('Meiling'-chan) for this update. Exams have only began wand I wasn't planning on having any updates until next weekend, after my exams are finished, and Mei-chan asked if she could see this chappie, since she knew I was having difficulties with all the legal stuff in here. And, because she's brilliant this way, she basically wrote out the chapter for me! About half, if not more, of this chapter is her. So please, if you have time, drop in and thank her ^.^ Or better yet, READ HER BRILLIANT WORK!! (Look under my profile for a link to her page!)**

**Quick thanks, also, to 'Tomoyo'-chan for having a look over this chapter ^.^ I highly suggest you read her stories as well. Vampire Eriol; need I say more? I don't think so. Yummm!! (Look under my profile for a link to her page! GO!) Luv-luv!**

**Note to Jackie-chan -- Don't know if you'll get this, but I'm still praying for you hun. -hugs tightly- Love ya!!**

**Also, I've created a "Twitter" account. If you Follow me, you will be notified on which work I'm working on when, and when updates are coming, and so on. Just please PM me first and tell me what your name in Twitter is if you decide to Follow me, that way I can accept your request ^.^ Thanks!! Again, see profile for link.**

**Please leave some words ^.^ They definitely rock my world. And they'll make me smile through the stress of exam-season ^.-**

**xox, Riva**

_Next Time... OMG!! Baby time!!! Okay...breathe in, breathe out...I still have a wicked trick up my sleeve ^.- Stay tuned! Update in a little over a week!! _


	20. Chapter 20

**Her Rising Saviour:**

_Chapter Twenty – Baby Kazumasa_

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Sakura sat back in the hospital bed, already changed into the hospital gown. A think cotton blanket laid on her legs, keeping the chill away. Syaoran stood beside her, one hand holding hers while his caressed her hair back lovingly. She was leaning in toward him, hr head resting on his upper abdomen.

Out in the waiting room were their friends and family; Eriol and Tomoyo – who were going to be the godparents to the child, Rika, Chiharu and Takashi, Touya and Fujitaka. Yoshiyuki was gone to punch into the hospital, worried that there was only one doctor on duty while three women – now four, with Sakura – were in labour. Dr. Yue, had obviously been grateful for the extra help. Dr. Yue had poked his head in on Sakura just to make sure she was all set up while Yoshiyuki was getting prepared.

Unfortunately, Sakura had began to have contractions not long after her water broke, beginning when they got to the car to rush her to the hospital. Every time, they became a little more painful.

"It'll be okay," Syaoran said soothingly as he felt her tense in pain. He kissed the top of her head and waited until she eased again. "How're you holding?"

Sakura moaned in protest, "The pain is _horrible_. This may be the only child I give you, Syaoran Li. If it's this painful now, I can only imagine when I'm fully dilated and giving birth to him_...oh!" _She tensed again and gave a small whimper, clutching her stomach.

Syaoran was slightly angry that he could do nothing to help her pain. All he could do was hold her lovingly and comfort her the best way he could. He chuckled lightly at her previous comment. "That's alright sweetie. One child is plenty."

Sakura gave a noise that crossed a laugh and a scoff.

"Don't worry. Terada should be here soon," Syaoran told her. "And when he does, we can request for you to have some epidermal – "

"NO!" Sakura said a bit loudly. "No meds, please. I want to do this as naturally as possible."

Syaoran groaned, knowing that she hated taking anything stronger than an advil. And even then, it was a pain – no pun intended – for her to take that small pill. It had been like pulling teeth to get Sakura to let the nurse hook the machines up to her and insert the IV line. Didn't help that Sakura was terrified of needles, either. Still... "Come on, please? I can't stand seeing you in so much pain."

"Then leave!" Sakura suddenly snapped, pulling away from Syaoran's embrace and whipped her head toward him, glaring. Immediately, however, her eyes softened and began to glisten with tears. "Oh god, Syaoran, I'm sorry! I didn't mean it – please don't leave."

He smiled at her and opened his arms for her, as if it were an offer. She moved back toward him and settled back into his warm arms. He kissed the top of her head again, "It's alright. I know you didn't mean it, don't worry. And you can scream all you want, but I won't leave."

Sakura let out a shaky laugh, swallowing her tears. One escaped and rolled down her cheek, making her scoff a laugh again. "Stupid hormones."

A moment later, the door swung open and Yoshiyuki appeared, dressed in blue scrubs. He seemed frazzled, as if in a rush. Sakura had only been there for fifteen minutes though, so she didn't understand this. He hurried over to one of the machines that had been hooked up, the one that read her contractions, and read the readings over quickly.

"Your contractions are pretty strong, Sakura," he told her, "And seem to be coming in quite frequently. Do you want anything for it?"

She quickly shook her head, "No. No, thanks."

"Alright then," he smiled to her and grabbed two pairs of gloves from the box nearby. He pulled them on and went to the end of the bed. "Shall we take a look? I'm going to need you to prop your legs up, placing your feet on these rests."

Sakura laid down and did as she was told, making a tent with the blankets on her knees. Yoshiyuki pushed the blanket up toward her knees, then disappeared from Sakura's gaze. She looked over to Syaoran, not wanting to look down. He was caressing her face, love shining in his amber eyes.

"Sakura?" Yoshiyuki suddenly spoke. He stood back up, moving her blankets back down to cover her up. Sakura stiffened, hearing his hesitance. Her heartbeat picked up as she squeezed Syaoran's hand. "We're going to have to do an emergency caesarean. I'll tell the operating team on board."

"Wait, what?" Sakura demanded, shaking. C-section? No! No, no, no! "Why?!"

"You're nine centimetres dilated, and the baby is in a breach position."

Syaoran's eyes widened, remembering their last appointment. Two months before, they had been told the baby was in an awkward position. But Sakura's appointment a few days ago stated that the baby seemed to have been finally flipping around, and would be fully turned by birth. "But, we were told that he was turning around..."

"The baby doesn't seem to have flipped fully," Yoshiyuki informed them. "Sakura's also about a week early – the baby would have flipped itself around, given the time."

Sakura began to hyperventilate slightly, squeezing Syaoran's hand so tightly it was like a death grip. He squeezed her back, sitting on the bed beside her to hold her close and began rocking her. "Hush sweetheart, everything is going to be fine." He paused and turned to Yoshiyuki, "Right?"

"She's dilating fast," the doctor told them. "She only has one centimetre to go. We need to get her into the O.R, now."

**b.K.d**

Sakura laid on the bed, a green sheet up to shield her eyes from the chest down. She could hear the clatter of metal and the steady beating of the heart-monitor and could feel Syaoran caressing her gingerly. He sat on a chair beside her, decked out in borrowed scrubs, a mouth-nose mask and a hair-cap. He was staring at her intently, one hand holding hers while the other soothed her cheek. Once in a while, he'd lean down and nuzzle the top of her covered head, telling her how everything would be okay.

Sakura almost had a heart attack when the were prepping her for the operation. Yoshiyuki brought a needle to her to be inserted into her back, between two spinal disks. Not only a needle, but in her_ spine?! _She was genuinely shocked that she didn't pass out. But now she was numb and could feel nothing. She was, of course, thankful, but at the same time a bit disappointed. Though it would have hurt, she wanted to go natural and experience the joys and pain alike of giving birth. Now, it was nothing like that. Now, those feelings were replaced with anxiousness and worry. All she wanted to do was hold their little boy.

"What are you thinking," Syaoran asked softly, catching Sakura out of her daze.

"About holding him, in my arms, safe," Sakura whispered back, sighing. "Syaoran, are you sure everything – "

"Will be fine," he cut her off. "Nothing is going to happen to our baby, understand?"

"Almost..._there!_" Sakura's hears perked up at Yoshiyuki's voice, her eyes darting toward the blue sheet separating her. Then, as if time stood still, a wail broke through the room. A loud, angry, frightened cry – screaming. The doctor held up the baby for Sakura to see, her eyes clouding with tears as she heard her baby cry. _My baby! Our baby!_

"Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Li...it's a healthy boy."

"I want to hold him," Sakura told them.

"Certainly," the doctor said. "Give us two seconds to wrap him up for you."

Sakura watched with wide eyes as they walked away with her screaming baby toward a table nearby. She wanted to jump up, go to him and comfort him. Make him stop crying. But she knew they weren't done with her on the table just yet. Soon after, a nurse walked toward them, smiling, holding a swaddled blue package. Syaoran stood and held out his arms, silently asking for the baby. The nurse carefully handed the delicate bundle over, and Syaoran's eyes widened on the face before him. He walked back to Sakura in a daze, sitting back down.

Sakura held out her arms, "Syaoran, please?"

Syaoran carefully handed the baby over to her, then wrapped an arm around her shoulders to prop her up slightly. His other hand covered hers as she held the baby. Her eyes danced with emotions, tears swelling her eyes and running silently down her cheeks.

The baby was _perfect. _Beneath the soft blue hat he wore, were thick locks of chocolate brown hair – Syaoran's hair. He had the tiniest fists poking out of the blanket, his face still slightly blue as a newborn's face always looks. She choked back a sob as Syaoran pressed kisses into her hair and began cooing to the baby.

"Hush, little Kazumasa," she whispered soothingly. She continued to coo, and a few seconds later, his crying ceased. He was sniffling, but was looking up at her now. His eyes red from tears, strained from crying. She smiled at him; though his eyes were blue-grey now, as were all baby's, she could already see how much they resembled her own. She was sure they'd turn green someday. "Hello, Kaz. I'm your mommy, and this is your daddy. We've been waiting a long time for you."

"Is that the baby's name?" The nurse asked.

Syaoran nodded, not taking his eyes off his family. "Yes – Kazumasa Xiaotaka Li, after our fathers."

"It's a beautiful name," the nurse smiled.

Sakura grinned, unable to tear her watery eyes away from the baby's gaze. "For a beautiful boy. Our beautiful boy."

Syaoran pressed his lips to hers, smiling widely.

**b.K.d**

Yoshiyuki wanted Sakura to remain in the hospital for a few days to make sure her stitches were healing nicely. Sakura whined, stating that he was being ridiculous, and continued to whine until the doctor also pointed out that Kazumasa was born two weeks early. Not a huge deal, but still something that should be mildly monitored. The three of them came to an agreement that everything seemed to go okay, Sakura could go home in three or four days time.

The afternoon of the day after Kazumasa's birth, the Li couple were shocked by an unexpected visitor. Sakura was feeding him with a glowing grin while Syaoran had an arm wrapped around her shoulders, his head resting against hers as he watched with a matching grin. He found it amazing, like a miracle, the extent of what she had done. Sure, she was a woman and most woman _did _do all this, but still, in his eyes, it was wondrous. Not twenty-four hours before, his son had been born. And now, she was feeding him with the nutrients created from her own body. It was amazing, he thought.

Kazumasa had just fallen asleep and Sakura was pulling down her gown when the clicking of heals echoed in the hallway and a tall woman suddenly appeared in the doorway. Both Li heads looked up to see an elegant woman with long ebony hair standing with wide eyes. Sakura unconsciously held Kazumasa closer while Syaoran's eyes narrowed into slits, a small growl erupting through him.

"Mother," he said, obviously not trying to be a gentleman with the tone he was using. "What are you doing here?"

"I..." her eyes were shooting from her son to the baby, her eyes wide with shock. "I got a call from Mr. Kinomoto. He told me...that my grandson was born..."

"Yes, _my _son was born," Syaoran gritted his teeth. "The words 'your grandson', on the other hand, can be debated."

Yelan Li looked like she had been slapped. She looked down, ashamed. "Xiao Lang, my son, I never meant to hurt you – "

"Save it," Syaoran snapped. "You made your point clear to me. You don't want my family, so I don't want you. I'm done, Mother. Now please leave before I call a nurse to escort you out."

Yelan's head snapped up, her eyes watered with tears. Remorse filled her complexion, tearing Sakura in half. The woman had never been truly warm to her. Hell, she was the one who took Syaoran away in the first place, and then tried to convince him to leave her _on her wedding day_ by bringing another girl to the wedding. And still...Sakura felt sorry for the mother. To lose her only son, it had to hurt. Even if she hurt him first.

Sakura placed a hand on Syaoran's and looked up to him with pleading eyes, "Please, Syaoran...Just speak to her for a few minutes."

His eyes snapped down to her, wide with shock. "What?! Sakura, you can't be serious."

"She's hurting, Syaoran," Sakura said softly. "Perhaps as much as you do."

He clenched his jaw, "She doesn't want you in my life, Sakura. I won't put up with that."

Sakura sighed heavily, "Just hear her out, please? Just give her a minute to speak."

Syaoran seemed torn as he stared at her for a few moments. After a uncomfortably silence, he gave a heavy sigh and nodded with a frustrated grunt. Sakura gave a small smile of comfort as he turned to his mother, not bothering to move away from the bed.

"What?" He barked. "I'll give you two minutes to speak, Mother, and then I'm done."

Her lip quivered, but she held her head high and gave a jerk of a nod, silently telling him she understood. "Xiao Lang, what I did was inexcusable. Miss Sakura is a lovely woman, I just...Oh, my son, I know it do sounds horrible, but I didn't thinks she _was_ good enough. I saw how much you loved her and I became agitated. You see, Mei Ling's mother and I have been friends since_ we _were children, and when you two were born, we always imagined you two getting married. It was the perfect dream of ours. And it was silly of me – ridiculous of me, really – to become upset that you had found your own love, but all I could think was that this girl was trying to take you away from my dream and..." She stopped herself and looked down to the floor. "Xiao Lang, I really do love Miss Sakura. She's a lovely woman, always has been. I just couldn't see that through my haze of what _I_ wanted."

"And what do you want now?" Syaoran seethed.

"My family," she whispered painfully. Her eyes cautiously looked up to the man before her. "I truly do miss you, my son. And I want to know my grandchild. You are both so very precious to me."

"And my wife?"

"Of course Miss Sakura is precious to me as well," she said quickly, then looked to Sakura with a small, apologetic smile. "After all, she is the mother of my son's first grandchild. She brought him into this world. Along with my son's love. She is...quite precious, Xiao Lang. Anyone you can love is precious to me."

Sakura offered her a little smile. Then, before Syaoran could say anything else, she gently titled Kazumasa just a bit so his face was shown to Yelan. She watched as the older woman's eyes widened in delight. "Would you like to see your grandson, Ms. Li?"

Yelan gave a quick nod and hurried over to the bedside, on the opposite side of Syaoran. Hesitantly, she leaned over to see the sleeping baby's face. Immediately, her face broke out into a grin, her eyes glistening happily. "Oh my, what a beautiful baby you two have. He's...He's gorgeous."

"His name is Kazumasa," Sakura told her gently.

"He's beautiful," Yelan repeated in a whisper. "He looks just like you, Xiao Lang, when you were born." She paused and looked up to her own son, smiling sheepishly. "You two...have made a wonderful child. He shall be loved greatly, and become a great man."

"I would hope so," Syaoran huffed gruffly. "Now if you're done – "

"Syaoran!" Sakura chided. "Is there nothing you want to say?"

His eyes widened in shock, blinking twice. He had never expected his wife to stand up against him, or even more so, stand up for his mother who had loathed her. "But...And she...You..."

"She's obviously sorry," Sakura told him quickly and quietly. "What more do you want from her?"

Syaoran ground his jaw once, then let out a long sigh. He leaned forward and pressed a gentle kiss to the top of her head. "You have too big of a heart for your own good," he whispered against her skin. He let out one last sigh and then turned back to his mother. "I...accept your apology."

Yelan's eyes watered, a trickle falling down her cheek. Then, without warning, she rushed off to his side of the bed and flung herself into his arms. Taken back, Syaoran simply remained still, shocked. His mother had not given so much as a motherly touch in all his life growing up, and now, she was embracing him. Finally, after a moment of shock, he moved his hand and cautiously patted her back.

After a moment, Yelan pulled back with a small, timid smile of her face. She pulled a silk handkerchief from her purse and dabbed her eyes clean before giving a small nervous laugh and digging through her purse once more. She pulled out a small envelope, sealed with wax and the Li seal. Shaking, she held the envelope out to her son.

"I...I had planned on giving this to you after you graduated, but you left to Japan so soon," she said lightly. "I was waiting until you returned home, China, to give you this...but you never did. So, I suppose now is better than ever."

Syaoran gave her a confused glance before taking the gift and opening it. He pulled out a slip of paper, his eyes bugging out of his head. His hand flew up to his hair, his jaw dropping. "Mo...Mother, this is...this is too much."

"No, it's just enough," Yelan gave a small smile. She turned to Sakura and winked. "I always knew it was your dream to open your own law firm, and now you can. I'm sure Mr. Hirragizawa would help you. And perhaps that friend of yours in charge of the music at your wedding."

"Mother...I...I don't know if I can accept this..."

"Nonsense!" She waved her hand, smiling brightly. "It's a mother's dream to see her child's dream come true. I want you to see this through, Xiao Lang."

Syaoran's mouth opened, and then closed, and then opened once more before a small cough at the door turned their attention. Standing in the door was Eriol, Touya and Yukito, holding balloons, flowers and a small gift bag. Eriol smiled, looking back and forth between the three adults. "Looking at the expression on Syaoran's face, I'd say we missed the family fun."

Sakura beamed, "Ms. Li just gave Syaoran a generous sum of money, to open up his own law firm."

Eriol's eyes bugged out like Syaoran's had moments earlier. His head snapped up to Syaoran's, jaw slack. "Are you serious? So...you can leave Nakamura's office?"

Syaoran slowly grinned, "Well, only if I can get some good lawyers to join me. Want to think about it?"

Eriol blinked twice, then chuckled and grinned. "No need to think about that, Li. I'm there. And I'm sure Yamazaki is, too."

Yukito stepped forward then, bringing in the balloons and gift bag. He smiled happily to the Li couple. "Congratulations, Syaoran. And Sakura..." he paused at the bed and smiled down to the baby, who – even though the noise – was still asleep. He smiled, "Wow, lovely baby. Congrats, both of you. Here," he handed Sakura the bag. "Just something we found at the gift shop."

Sakura wiggled one hand free and ruffled through the tissue paper filled bag. Finally, her hands brushed up against something soft and plushy. Smiling, she pulled out what appeared to be a teddy bear, but different. It had larger ears and a tail with a white tuff of fur at the end. It was yellow in colour with beady black eyes and a small stitched mouth.

Sakura giggled, "Aww, it's adorable Yuki! Thank you!"

"Eriol already named it," Touya stepped in, chuckling. Eriol gave a small chuckle as well. "It's called _Kero_."

Sakura frowned in confusion, "Kero? How did you come up with that name?"

Eriol shrugged, "Dunno, seemed fitting."

Not long after, Yelan took her leave to catch her plane and the rest of their friends and family arrived back at the room. They stayed for a few hours; Tomoyo video tapping the whole time, Fujitaka taking countless photos, Takashi Yamazaki making jokes about the baby being too small and telling lies of his future, and while Chiharu hit him over the head, and Rika's own baby Hayate having fun with the plush toy 'Kero'.

By the time night settled in, the group was gone, leaving Syaoran and his family alone once more. Sakura had gently placed Kazumasa in the plastic cradle beside the bed, rolling it over so it was right beside her. She laid down, rolling over so she was facing him. Part of her didn't want to sleep, wanting to take him back in her arms and not let him go again. But she was exhausted, both mentally and physically. She knew she needed sleep.

Behind her, Syaoran had stripped into flannel pajama bottoms and a cotton white tee. He lifted the thin blanket covering Sakura and slid in behind her, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her into his chest. He pressed kisses to her shoulder, earning a small sigh from her.

"I love you, Sakura," he whispered against her, resting his head on her shoulder. His eyes rested on the sleeping baby beside them, a large grin on his face. He reached forward to brush his fingertips against the clear plastic, separating the baby from the parents. "And I love you, Kaz." He brought his hand back and wrapped it back around Sakura, caressing her stomach in small circles. "Now, sleep, my Sakura. And sleep well."

Sakura nodded and closed her eyes, drifting to sleep with a large smile across her face.

**b.K.d**

A few hours later, Sakura woke to a cooing. She opened her eyes unwillingly and forced her tired sight to adjust to the dark. She bit her lip to stop a gasp from leaving her lips, her eyes watering at the sight.

In the corner, in the rocking chair, sat her husband. He was gently rocking back and forth, his head bent down to look at the small bundle in his arms. Nestles in his grasp was their baby, swaddled in a warm blanket.

"...And I'm going to teach you how to fish and read," Syaoran was whispering softly, cooing, obviously continuing a conversation that he had started while Sakura slept. "You'll love reading. It was always one of my favourite things to do. And every Sunday, you, me and your mother will all go out. Picnics, playing sports, amusement parks...Anything. We'll simply spend the day together."

Sakura grinned, her hand reaching up to stifle the _awww_ wanting to be let lose.

Syaoran continued still, "And don't worry, I'll keep you safe from your evil Auntie Tomoyo. She won't get her fashion-obsessed claws on you. I'll hide you if I have to. And Uncle Eriol won't ever corrupt you. Note now, kid, don't you _ever _listen to a word Eriol says. As for your Uncle Touya...Well, let's just say that he can be cruel. Don't get in his bad books, trust me. Though I'm sure your mother will keep him in line.

"As for dating," his voice suddenly became very stern. "You won't date until you're out of the house, understood? I'm treating you like I would any daughter – and that means no dating until you're, like, twenty. Maybe older. And on that note, you'll treat women with respect. You know, I'm sure chivalry can come back into style. All girls love that garbage, right? Opening doors...flowers...offering an arm...the works. If I ever hear you bad-talk any girl or hit a girl...you'll be grounded faster than you can see 'I love my mommy'..."

Sakura was lulled back into her drowsiness after that, silent tears staining her face.

Her beautiful boys. _Her _beautiful boys.

And it would forever stay that way. Forever and always.

* * *

**Author's Note:** **Well my awesome readers, this is it T^T Kind'a makes me sad, really. But we still have an epilogue to go ^.^ It'll be up within a few days time. It's almost done. But first, I want to finish the second chapter to _Ichidou _(if you haven't read it yet....please do ^.^)**

**Dedicated to all my readers and reviewers. You guys are amazing, really. As of now, here are the stats: 239 reviews for 19 chapters, 10 492 hits, 1 C2, 34 favs and 54 alerts!! I was astounded to see how many of you guys have this on alert!! Thanks SO much. This last chapter goes out to you all...and a special thanks to those who have reviewed ^.^**

**And shout-out to Meiling-chan, Tomoyo-chan and Jackie-chan. Jackie, I'd be lost without you beta-ing this. I'd be lost without you. Meiling-chan and Tomoyo-chan...God, where do I start?! LOL...I have waaay too much to thank you two. You two are just...wow XD Hope you two never get sick of me!! LOL. And to all three of you, thanks for letting me rant on you. HUGE help, all of you. Love you three to bits!!! **

**Go check out Meiling's (swallowingtears) story, "Blossom in the Gilded Cage", and Tomoyo's (YamiNoTomoyo) story, "A Most Succulent Apple". They're AWESOME READS!!! **

**I hope this chapter has finished this nicely. I hope I haven't disappointed any of you. This is how I saw it ending, minus the epilogue coming your way shortly. **

**Lastly, if you want a sneak preview of the epilogue...sneak over to my LiveJournal page (link provided on my profile). Thanks!! Please leave a few words for a review!!!!! Thanks!**

**xox, Riva**

_Next Time... EPILOGUE!_


	21. Epilogue

**Her Rising Saviour:**

_Epilogue

* * *

_

A young boy of six sat on the couch, his large, bright emerald eyes glued in a bored-like trance on the television in front of him. He was watching some random anime, but wasn't really paying attention. His elbow was resting on the armrest, his head being held up by his cheek in his palm. The remote was in his other hand, pointed toward the television. There was absolutely nothing on, and it was bugging him. Maybe he could convince his mother to drive him to the movie rental place to rent a video?

"Kaz?" His mother's voice fluttered through the room. He muted the television politely and turned to see his mother coming in from the hall, holding the phone. She smiled to him. "That was Auntie Tomoyo. Are you okay with Summer coming over?"

Kazumasa felt his cheeks warm slightly, but he pushed down the emotion and mentally chided himself. Only girls blushed!

Summer was his Auntie Tomoyo and Uncle Eriol's four year old daughter. Of course, they weren't really related. When Kazumasa had questioned why he called them 'Auntie' and 'Uncle', his mother smiled as said they were as good as family.

He shrugged and turned back to his boring show, "Sure. Why wouldn't I be?"

Sakura watched him, smiled, then hung up the phone on the end table beside the couch. "I'll go make some lunch for you two then, okay? She'll be over in a few minutes."

Kazumasa watched his mother leave toward the kitchen, then jumped off the couch and turned off the television. He rushed up to his room and quickly cleaned up, not understanding his actions. Who cared if his room was clean? He certainly didn't. And yet he made sure his bookcase was neat and his trucks were in his toybox.

He rushed to his mirror, ignoring the voice in his head that said it was silly to do so, and gave himself a glance over. He didn't want his clothes to be stained or dirty, after all. That was just uncivil, as his NaiNai – grandmother – Li had taught him. And no girl found that pretty.

Like any other day, he was wearing clothes from his Auntie Tomoyo's store. He was wearing stylish dark jeans with deep pockets and a simple brown leather belt. He wore a yellow tee underneath a yellow-green-white checkered button down tee, unbuttoned. His dark chocolate hair laid in a strangled mess on top of his head. His mother had long ago stopped trying to tame it, often saying it was worse than his father's hair. It was a difficult feat, that was for sure.

He turned away from the mirror and jumped toward his bed, grabbing the yellow stuffed toy that rested against his pillow. He sat on the edge of the bed, swinging his legs back and forth against the mattress as he held the toy in his hands.

"Wish me luck Kero," he whispered to the toy, not wanting to be too loud. He was grinning widely, his cheeks slightly pink. "Summer is coming over today." He paused, as if waiting for an answer, when the door knocked. He quickly threw the stuffed animal against the pillow and jumped off the bed. "I'll tell you about it later!" He said a bit louder than a whisper as he rushed out the room and crept quietly down the hall, not wanting to disturb the sleeping.

He rushed down the stairs and skidded to a stop in front of the door, right in front of Sakura, cutting her off. He turned the door handle and opened the door, then mentally scolded himself at the large sappy smile on his face. He silently promised himself he'd stop being such a girl.

Yet despite himself and this promise, the air left his lungs in a single _whoosh_ when he opened the door.

Tomoyo and Eriol stood there, Eriol's hand in Tomoyo's while Tomoyo used her other arm to hold up their daughter who rested on her hip. She was a beautiful, perfect mix of both her parents. She had Eriol's wide blue eyes along with his hair colour – midnight blue – but her hair was wavy like her mother's. Her skin tone, as well, was her mother's porcelain and flawless white colour.

Today, she had her wavy hair in a pony-tail, her bangs slightly curled out above her gleaming, happy eyes. She wore a little white dress with tiny navy flowers. The dress poofed out slightly from a crinkling slip underneath.

"Thank you _so _much, Sakura. The babysitter just bailed and – "

Sakura held up a hand to stop her, "No thanks necessary. It's your anniversary. You two deserve a night out of town. I'm more than happy to watch over little Summer. Besides, Hayate was supposed to come over for a play-day with Kazumasa, but he fell sick last night. I'm sure Kaz has no problem with Summer being here," she looked down at her son, "Right?"

His cheeks tinged pink, though he didn't seem to notice this time, and quickly nodded. "N-No."

Sakura looked back to Tomoyo and smiled, "See?" She knelt down to face-level with four year old Summer, smiling, "Come on, Summer. I just made some lunch. Your favourite – grilled cheese."

Summer beamed, causing Kazumasa's lips to lift up into a small grin unconsciously. She quickly hugged her mother and pressed a sloppy kiss onto her cheek, then held out her tiny hands to her father. Eriol chuckled and wrapped his arms around her, bringing her into him. He pressed a kiss to her forehead as she giggled and placed her hands on both his cheeks, pressing them together. To appease her, Eriol made a fish-impression and she giggled again.

"Daddy looks funny!" She giggled, then pressed her lips to his in a smack kiss. Then, ever dramatically, she threw back her hands and pulled away to say, "Mwah!"

Eriol chuckled. "Listen to Aunt Sakura, Sums, okay?"

Summer grinned and nodded, "O'tay."

Eriol kissed her forehead lightly, then placed her on the ground and watched her walk into the house. He turned to face Sakura as he wrapped an arm around his wife's waist. "Sakura, Syaoran wanted me to pass on the message that he'd be home for lunch. So...in a few minutes or so? He's not due in court until later this evening and he's completely prepared for it, so I think he's planning on taking the afternoon off."

Sakura smiled and nodded, "Okay, thanks. He's been trying to get home any chance he has these days."

Eriol chuckled, "Of course. He wants to see his family."

Sakura rolled her eyes and mumbled something under her breath about 'wrapped around her finger', making Tomoyo and Eriol laugh. Tomoyo checked her watch and gave a small gasp, "Eriol, we're going to be late if we don't hurry."

Summer waved frantically as Tomoyo and Eriol turned to rushed back to their car and Sakura closed the door. Summer turned to Kazumasa and grinned, making his cheeks turn pink again. Then she squealed and threw her arms around him, hugging him. He staggered back from the blow; sure she was two years younger, and she always did this, but each time it took him off guard.

"Kaz!" She squealed then pulled away, still grinning. She was too young to notice how his face was glowing red.

"H-Hi, S-Summer," he stuttered.

She smiled to him, then looked away and gave a small giggle that sounded much like her mother's – innocent and carefree. Kazumasa tinged a brighter shade of red, remembering all the time she and her friends would giggle at him. It always made him nervous. Whenever he'd passed by the pre-school yard during recess at school, he'd catch sight of Lauren and Lala – both foreigners to Japan – playing jump-rope with Summer. Somehow, they always managed to see him. The two girls would whisper something into Summer's ear, making the three of them giggle giddily. He hated it, knowing it was about him. And it always made his face feel warmer. And, of course, that brought on a round of laughs from Hayate.

Sakura giggled and shook her head, watching the exchange, then began to head back toward the kitchen. "Lunch is ready if you two want it!"

Summer gasped, then began jumping up and down happily, singing, "Yay! G'illed cheese! G'illed cheese! G'illed cheese!" She grabbed Kazumasa's hand and began heading toward the kitchen. "C'mon, Kaz! Let's go eat!"

Kazumasa's eyes were glued to their hands, his eyes dancing. Her hand was so small, so delicate. A bit pudgy from being so young still, and she still had the small dimples in her knuckles, but to him they seemed so delicate. So precious. He saw the tiny braided bracelet on her wrist and began to glow red once more. He had asked his mother the previous week how to braid and with after a few failed tries, he had managed to make her her own bracelet; a twist of purple, blue and pink yarn.

"_You looooove her," Hayate, his best friend, had teased him the other day when he found out about the bracelet. It was funny, since Hayate was such a quiet child. Until, that is, he was with Kazumasa. Then he was loud just like any other boy their age. He danced around Kazumasa, laughing, "Summer and Kaz sitting in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G! First comes – "_

"_I do not!" Kazumasa had yelled back, red as a tomato. "I-I just thought it'd look nice on her!"_

_Hayate fell to the floor laughing, "Sure, Kaz. Sure."_

_Kazumasa stomped his foot, "It's the truth! Besides, you like Miss Kato!"_

_No sooner than their teaching being mentioned, Hayate had stopped. He suddenly blushed wildly himself and stopped laughing. Kazumasa grinned triumphantly as Hayate looked away, mumbling, "Do not."  
_

"I do not love her," Kazumasa mumbled, not realizing he had said it out loud.

"Pardon?" Summer looked back innocently.

Kazumasa panicked and shook his head furiously, "N-Nothing! I didn't say anything!"

Summer let go of his hand as they reached Sakura, who was standing at the counter cutting the grilled cheeses into four strips each. Summer gently tugged on her pants to get her attention, "Auntie, can I please had kat-hup with it?"

Sakura giggled, "That's _ketchup_, sweetie."

"That's what I said!" Summer grinned. "Kat-hup!"

Sakura shook her head, still giggling. "Sure, sweetie, of course. Kaz, do you want some too?"

Kazumasa shook his head quickly, "No, but can I grab the mustard?"

Sakura scrunched up her nose before letting out a laugh, "I'll never understand you. Mustard and grilled cheese...Next you'll be asking for onions on your PB and J sandwich!"

"Ewww! Mom!" He laughed, grabbing the bottle of mustard from the fridge. "That's gross! Only Uncle Touya does that!"

Sakura pulled out two ceramic dipping-cups from the cupboard and squeezed ketchup in one and mustard in the other. She quickly cut both sandwiches into four horizontal pieces, like sticks, then handed a plate to each child. She turned to flip her own sandwich onto a plate when the phone rang. She sighed and turned off the burner, pulling the pan off the stove.

"Kaz," she caught his attention quickly. "Keep an eye on Summer so I can answer the phone."

He nodded quickly, taking his duty seriously as his mother fled from the room to answer the phone before the answering machine could pick up. He let Summer walk in front of him, going to follow her to the kitchen table. He didn't even see her tiny foot get caught under the mat by the sink.

She gave a small gasp before her plate went flying out of her hands and splattered onto the floor. She landed on the thin mat laying on top of the cold tile floor with a thud. Kazumasa froze, his eyes wide on the tiny figure on the floor. Not a second later, she let out a long, pained wail. He dropped his own plate onto the counter and rushed to her side, falling to his knees beside her.

"Summer! Summer, are you hurt?" He asked, his eyes raking over her for injuries.

She sobbed, her hands unable to move fast enough to brush away the tears rolling down her porcelain skin. "M-M-My kn-knee!"

He carefully reached for her leg and pushed back her dress to look at her knee. He sighed softly, only seeing a red spot where she had landed. A small rug burn, but nothing else. Without thinking, without planning, he leaned forward and kissed her knee.

"That a bit better?" He asked, looking up at her worriedly.

Summer sniffled twice and nodded, then opened her eyes. Perfect droplets clung to her dark eyelashes. She held out her arms, silently asking him to lift her. He didn't need any other further encouragement, he sat back on his bottom and wrapped his arms around her, then brought her into his lap. She threw her arms around him and buried her face into the crook of his neck, softly crying still. Kazumasa held her close, rubbing circles on her back like his mom would do whenever he was hurt or scared.

"You only fell," he told her softly, "you're okay."

"It huwts!" She sniffled.

Kazumasa held her closer, hating the thought of her hurt. Hating the sound of her sobs. Hating the feelings of her tears on his skin. Really, hating the fact that she was crying in general. Pushing down the blush wanting to rise and pushing down the tiny voice in his head taunting him – the voice that sounded a lot like Hayate, in fact – he turned his head and pressed a gentle kiss to her temple while continuing to soothe her.

In the doorway, stood Sakura. She leaned against the archway, grinning as she watched the scene. She had dropped the phone as soon as Summer had began to wail, afraid for the worse. Had Kaz turned for a second and, perhaps, she had tried to go into one of the drawers? Try to drink the dish soap under the sink? Or crawled into the table and fell? Instead, she found Kazumasa sitting beside the child, trying to calm her. When he pulled her into her lap, she had to stop herself from having a 'Tomoyo-Moment' and grab the camera.

Suddenly, she felt two strong arms wrap around her and pull her into a strong chest. She felt a chin rest on her shoulder and she gave a small sigh as she titled her head so it rested on the one beside her. At that moment, Kazumasa turned and kissed Summer on the side of the head. Sakura grinned.

"Now, isn't that cute," Syaoran sighed behind her, whispering so not to disturb the two young children in the kitchen.

Sakura smiled, "It is. Kaz definitely has a thing for lil' Summer Hirragizawa."

"Figured as much," Syaoran chuckled. "He asked me what girls liked the other day. I told him, they like flowers, chocolates and jewellery."

Sakura giggled, trying to stifle the noise with her hand. "That explains a lot...He came up to me a few days ago and asked how to make a braided bracelet. Looks like he's trying to woo the girl."

A soft growl emitted from Syaoran's lips. He tightened his hold on his wife, "I don't _think _so. That boy is not dating until he's twenty, at the youngest."

"Ahh yes, how could I forget," Sakura rolled her eyes, remembering that conversation Syaoran had had when their son was only a day old. She had never told Syaoran about overhearing that conversation, and didn't intend to. Something told her it was a private moment between father and son. She turned around in Syaoran's arms and gently pushed him back so they were away from the kitchen, giving the two kids privacy. Kazumasa had it under control; he was currently helping Summer into her seat and offering his lunch to her. So sweet, Sakura thought.

She pushed Syaoran toward the couch, his knees buckling when he hit the edge of it. Sakura quickly straddled him, knowing they only had minutes before one of the kids would interrupt. His eyes went wide as she pushed her hands through his hair and dangled her face inches away from his, letting her breath cascade across his face. "Do you forget, my handsome husband, that we were only thirteen when we had our first date? And sixteen when we gave each other our virginity?"

"O-Of course I remember," he stuttered, his cheeks tingeing pink. He scolded himself as Sakura grinned. Even now, when he was thirty, somehow Sakura could still make him feel like a seventeen year old boy. And she could feel that even now.

"Hmm," she mused, brushing her lips across the spot under his ear. "Then why, dear husband, are you making your son wait until he is twenty to even consider dating? You know he'll rebel. It won't work."

"He won't rebel," Syaoran whispered, his eyes fluttering shut.

"Oh? You don't think?" Sakura smirked, pulling back slightly. "He is very much like you, Syaoran. Of course he will."

"You calling me a rebel?" Syaoran smirked.

Sakura smirked back, leaning back in slowly and pronounced each word slowly. "A very...very..._sexy_..." her lips brushed against his as she spoke the last word, "rebel." Under her, Syaoran gave a shudder. His hand grasped her hips involuntarily.

"Sakura..." he growled warningly as he lips met his. In response, Sakura giggled and pressed her lips to his again.

A wailing broke them apart, making Sakura pull back quickly and Syaoran's head fall back onto the couch with a groan. This wail was different from Summer's, more demanding than hurt. Sakura giggled at Syaoran's response to the cry and swung herself off of him. She quickly turned away to head up the stairs to their house, toward the bedrooms. She could hear Syaoran following behind her. She opened the bedroom door closest to the stairs, the cries becoming louder and closer.

Inside the rose and lavender painted room was Kazumasa's crib. Yet nestled inside the crib was a crying young baby, perhaps three or four months of age. Her amber eyes were red from crying and slightly swollen. Her dark hair stuck to her face slightly. Sakura giggled, looking down at the child as Syaoran scooped her up and cradled her close to his chest. She remembered when the baby girl was born, and both her and Syaoran's shock at her features. She had Syaoran's darker skin, like Kazumasa, along with Syaoran's beautiful amber eyes. Yet the child's hair greatly resembled Touya Kinomoto's in colour. Though the slightest curl in it was definitely Syaoran. She was a beautiful, precious thing.

"Looks like my angel has awaken," Syaoran crooned as her gently bounced her. The baby stopped crying almost immediately after being picked up by her father, her cheeks flushed from crying. She was a complete daddy's-girl and had Syaoran completely wrapped around her little fingers. He smiled down to the baby, crooning, as if forgetting that Sakura was still there. "My little angel Hikari."

When she was born, Syaoran had had the same talk with her that she had with Kazumasa. Sakura had feigned just to listen to it.

_It was the first night in the hospital. Nestled in her arms slept Kazumasa, who had just turned six the month before. He snored softly, one arm on her stomach and the other holding his favourite toy, Kero, tightly. He couldn't sleep without it. Sakura had her eyes closed, pretending to sleep. She had felt Syaoran get up from the bed only moments before, baby Hikari's cries filling the night's air. The conversation with Hikari was much the same as he had had with Kazumasa, except for the ending._

"_...As for dating, you'll be lucky if a guy gets six-feet near you. You can't date until I die. You're brother will most certainly help me fend off the boys. I can already see him becoming a fierce older brother. Must get that from your mother's side, from your Uncle Touya. And no doubt that Touya will help keep the boys away, too._

_"Even though you're a girl, you'll learn to protect yourself," he continued with a smile. "No one will harm you. Even if they **do **somehow manage to get passed me and Kaz, you'll be able to protect yourself. I won't let any harm come to you, my angel..."_

"Is Kari awake?"

Sakura and Syaoran turned to see Kazumasa standing in the doorway, his eyes brightly locked on the child in his father's arms. Sakura smiled at the little boy, remembering how happy he was to learn that he was having a baby sister. He had been an active participant in the family during Sakura's pregnancy – he went shopping to pick out clothes and such, had a say in picking out her name, and helped paint the nursery in their new house. Syaoran and Touya had taken him out the day after Hikari was born, telling him the responsibilities he now had as a big brother. Of course, he took these duties with determination.

Sakura smiled and held out a hand to Kazumasa, smiling. "Yes, she just woke. Where's Summer?"

"She wanted to watch_ Ni Hao Kai Lan _downstairs," Kazumasa said quickly, his eyes locked on his sister. "Can I...um, can I hold her?"

Sakura grinned and walked over to her son. She lifted him up in her arms, then carried him over to the rocking chair she had by the window. Carefully, she sat him down as Syaoran walked over with baby Hikari. Gently, Syaoran bent down on on knee and laid Hikari in Kazumasa's arms. Kazumasa cradled her close and gently, as if she were a precious gem, a large grin on his face. He had held his sister many times in the past couple of months, of course – even held her at the hospital – and each time, he gave the same reaction.

The baby never cried in his arms. Never had. Her large amber eyes would always stare up into his emerald pair, as if she couldn't tear them away. As if she knew that he was her big brother.

"Hey there, Kari," he smiled brightly, beginning to gently rock so that the chair moved in the slightest back and forth. He was careful not to rock too hard, not wanting to scare her. He stroke up a conversation with her, like he always did. "Guess what? Mommy and Dad were talking about going to the zoo soon with Uncle Eriol and Auntie Tomoyo and Summer next month. But don't worry, I'll protect you from the lions. I don't think they can get out, but if they do...I'll keep them away from you." Then he paused and brought his head down to lay a brotherly kiss on her forehead, inhaling her soft baby scent of powder. Whispering, he added, "I'd protect you from anything, Kari. Because I'm your big brother. And that makes it my job to keep you safe. And Uncle Touya says that includes boys. I guess I see what he means, because Hayate can tease a lot." A fierce look of protectiveness suddenly shone in his eyes and he nuzzled his face to hers, "I'll protect you from him and his teasing. From anyone, really." He kissed her soft pink cheek, "I love you, Hikari."

Syaoran wrapped his arms around Sakura's waist and pulled her back against his check, gently swaying them as he rested his head on her shoulder again so they could watch their children's scene enfold before them. He noticed Sakura shaking slightly and felt a wet drop on his cheek. He brought a hand up to brush away her tears, kissing away the ones he could reach.

"Beautiful," she simply whispered, too soft for Kazumasa to hear but loud enough for Syaoran. "And they're ours."

Syaoran smiled against her cheek, squeezing her lovingly. "Ours."

He placed a finger on the cheek facing away from him and gently turned her face toward him. He gave her a crooked grin before bringing his mouth down softly on hers, moving his lips with hers slowly and tenderly. They pulled away, each giving a small sigh, before Sakura laid her head against his shoulder, her breath brushing against his neck. Syaoran leaned his head down on her forehead as her arms wrapped around his, which were still around her midsection.

"I love you," she whispered against his neck. She closed her eyes, smiling as she continued to listen to Kazumasa cooing to Hikari.

**b.K.d**

It was nearing eight at night. Tomoyo had phoned and asked for Summer to stay the night since traffic was bad and Eriol didn't want to rush through it – better safe than sorry. And, of course, it was no problem.

Sakura was washing the dishes from dinner. Beside her, Syaoran held a dish towel, drying the dishes in the drying rack. They had a dishwasher, of course, but with two kids – one being an infant – it was difficult to find any time alone together. So what better way than some good ol' cleaning?

From the baby monitor by the sink, Sakura could hear Hikari's soft, even breathing as she slept. She smiled; she loved listening to her baby sleep. The evenness of the baby's breathing was so calming and soothing. It could make anyone wish to sleep as well.

Sakura pulled the plug from the sink, letting the dirty dishwater drain. She flicked her wrists twice, then reached for the rag in Syaoran's hands. She quickly dried her hands, then let Syaoran return to drying. As he picked up the next dish, she went behind him and wrapped her arms around him, resting her cheek against his shoulder-blade. She felt him chuckle as he dried the last few dishes and dragged her along with him to put them away. When done, he turned in her arms and wrapped his own around her, placing a soft kiss on her forehead.

"I think we should go check on Kaz and Summer in the living room," Syaoran suggested. "When I last checked, they were watching _Bambi_. It should be over by now."

Sakura nodded in agreement and followed her husband out of the kitchen and into the living room. She stifled a gasp by pushed her hand against her mouth, a grin spreading across her face. Beside her, Syaoran was softly chuckling.

The television had been turned off. Instead, on the end table by the couch, the CD player was on. It was playing what Sakura recognized it as Kazumasa's lullaby CD. When he had been a toddler, she had come down with such a bad cold that she had lost her voice. She quickly learned that the child wouldn't sleep without Sakura singing to him. So, she quickly made him a CD of all the lullaby's she'd sing to him. It worked, and even now, he played the CD before bed. It looked like he had brought it downstairs for Summer to listen to, too. Currently, it was playing 'Goodnight my Angel' by Billy Joel.

On the couch, both Summer and Kazumasa were asleep. Kazumasa's back was against the couch, while Summer was cradled in his arms, snuggling into the warmth of his chest. Kazumasa had obviously taken the afghan off the back of the couch, as it now laid across them for warmth. His one arm was around her, unconsciously holding her close, while the other rested on top of the blanket to keep it securely on them. His head was resting against the top of hers, his nose slightly buried into her soft locks of dark hair.

Sakura smirked as she slunk forward slightly and wrapped an arm around Syaoran's waist, pushing herself up so her lips were by his ear. "What were you saying? About Kaz dating?"

Syaoran suddenly stopped laughing and shot his wife a menacing look, "Not until he's twenty."

Sakura giggled softly, trying not to wake the children, and shook her head. "I don't see that happening, hun. Not with Miss Summer around."

"My rules," Syaoran said. "What I say, goes."

"Fine," Sakura shrugged, pulling away nonchalantly. "Just be prepared for Eriol's wrath when he finds out his teenage daughter has run away to elope with our son half way across the world."

Syaoran's eyes widened, his jaw dropped and his face paled. He gave his head a slight shake to rid the images coming to his mind, then his eyes narrowed dangerously on Sakura. She caught this angry gaze and giggled.

Syaoran growled softly, "Sakura...that isn't a funny joke."

"Oh, it wasn't a joke babe," Sakura winked. "It will happen."

"Not. Funny," he growled a bit louder.

Sakura giggled and shot out of the living room quickly, rushing toward the stairs. She could hear Syaoran quickly behind her, trying to stay as light on his feet as possible so not to disturb any sleeping children. She quickly turned the corner of their bedroom, unable to close the door fast enough until Syaoran pushed open the door. He closed it behind him, his face appearing angry while his eyes were playful.

"Now Sakura," he crooned as he walked toward her like she were his prey. Sakura's eyes shone as she backed away, her legs eventually coming to the edge of the bed. With a small 'ouf!' she fell back into the mattress. He kept on stalking toward her, "That wasn't very funny. I worry about my children, and you suggest that my son and some _girl _elope on us?!"

Sakura rolled her eyes, "It's not 'some girl'...it's Summer! Totally different," she giggled, waving her hand as if dismissing the subject.

Syaoran gave a slight growl, his mask slipping to show a slight grin playing across his lips. "Wrong answer, sweetie," he whispered before launching himself on the bed above her. He landed with a knee on either side of her, his hands pinning her wrists down to the mattress. His lips crashed to hers in a powerful, hungry kiss. Sakura quickly responded, giving no sign of hesitation.

Syaoran had gotten to kissing her collarbone, her shirt somehow having been discarded along with Syaoran's shirt and pants, leaning him in boxers, when a loud wail from the baby monitor pierced the air. Syaoran gave a loud groan, nearly collapsing on top of Sakura as he let his head rest against her shoulder. She chuckled at him, lifting a hand to drag it through his hair.

She kissed the top of his head, "She's just hungry. Let me feed her quickly and I'll be right back."

"No," he grumbled with a sigh. "I'll come with you."

He rolled out of bed and grabbed a pair of pajama bottoms from the drawer, then handed Sakura a pair of sweatpants and a tank to change into. They quickly dressed and headed toward the bedroom door. Before they left the room, Syaoran stole one more kiss by pressing her against the door.

"I love you," he whispered against her lips, before pulling away and wrapped his arm around her waist. He opened the door for them so they could follow the baby's cries down the hall to Hikari's room. "Forever and ever."

Sakura leaned against Syaoran's shoulder, smiling, adoration shining in her eyes. _Yes_, she thought happily_, that sounds perfect....Forever and ever. Longer, even.

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**Author's (Final!) Note: Tis the end, my readers. Hope this was a fluffy-enough ending. Sakura and Syaoran deserved a happy ending, and I figured I could add some cuteness with their son ^.^**

**In case you're interested... "Tomoyo"-chan got a 'Tomoyo' urge last night XDD She read this over and quickly became, in her words, obsessed with Summer-chan XDDD And, what does a Tomoyo do when she can't videotape and photograph someone because they're fictional? Simple, you do the next best thing -- go find a website to create the character yourself!!! Visit my LiveJournal page to see her awesome pics! Soooo kawaii! (Replace (dot)s with actual periods) -- **_http://butterflykissu(dot)livejournal(dot)com/

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**PLEASE READ:**

**Also..."Meiling"-chan and I have finally posted the first chapter to our co-authored story, 'Maneuver'. ****SUMMARY:**_**Syaoran Li needs a bride - but he got more than he bargained for in Sakura Kinomoto, who has a dark but sexy secret. Can Syaoran resist this flower who has certain plans for him too? **_

**PLEEEEASE go read it, it's under my profile ^.^ And remember to review. I promise it won't disappoint, especially with **_**swallowingtear**_**'s help ^.- of course.**

**Also, Ichidou has been updated. If you haven't read it, please do. **

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**Thank you for following me through with my story ^.^ I hope you'll leave me one final review for "Her Rising Saviour". Please put me on Author Alert for updates on new stories!! Please and thanks!**

**Thank you, everyone!!! This story has been a pleasure to write for you all.**

**xox, Riva**


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